Surface Flaws
by ineXpressible
Summary: The invisibility started with one silly wish upon a star. At least Sasuke's doormat personality, Sai's attempts at matchmaking, and a mission gone wrong were all quite normal in the life of Naruto Uzumaki... Wait. What? SasuNaru
1. Chapter I

_Originally Posted: Monday, June 5, 2006_

**Disclaimer**: Do not own.

**Warnings**: Shounen ai, spoilers for anyone not keeping up with the manga, & AUish. Anything involving Akatsuki and bijuus after the timeskip is completely irrelevant to this story, and as such, never happened. Actually, this applies to everything after the timeskip except the part where Naruto, Sakura, and Sai meet up with Sasuke.

**General**: Takes place after chapter 308 for those of you that _are_ keeping up with the manga.

**Thank yous**: peachie-x and Nox (betas) as well as everyone who has reviewed SF. Much love!

**Summary**: _The invisibility started with one silly wish upon a star. Good thing Sasuke's doormat personality, Sai's attempts at matchmaking, and a mission gone wrong were all quite normal in the life of Naruto Uzumaki... Wait. What? SasuNaru_

* * *

**Surface Flaws **

**Chapter I**

"_Don't you worry anymore,  
Don't you worry anymore,_  
_'Cause whatever it's about_  
_Well, you know without a doubt_  
_You'll always have a place in my heart_  
_Yes you'll always have a place in my heart…"  
_  
_- A Place in My Heart (Craig Salkheld)_

His right foot was asleep.

Which triggered the question: How long exactly had he been standing in Tsunade's office?

Naruto looked at Sakura incriminatingly, silently _begging_ her to shut up. How she could prattle on about a mission where absolutely _nothing_ had happened was beyond him. That being said, she was doing a wonderful job of it. In fact, she was doing_too_ wonderful a job of it. Blue eyes shifted and narrowed in on the Hokage of Konoha.

If he could only get her attention, then perhaps he could somehow give her a signal to wrap things up - cut Sakura's 'brief overview' short.

But it was too late. The acute woman had already caught on to the fact that nothing of mention had occurred during Team 7's mission. It _was_ blaringly obvious. As a result, her angular face was pulled into an expression of forced interest as Sakura spoke, and her eyes were unmoving and almost glassed over.

The two boys on either side of Sakura might as well have not existed. Not that they were doing much to draw attention to themselves, Naruto being uncharacteristically quiet and Sasuke being exceptionally 'broody'.

As in ridiculously, irritatingly, and completely broody.

Naruto scoffed. Good for the bastard. He should be.

Now if only Tsunade would look at him…

But she wasn't.

The old woman hid a yawn behind her hand and tried to smile encouragingly at Sakura - completely missed Naruto's very obvious stare - before turning to the rather large pile of papers on her desk. Tsunade grabbed for a pen, the motion fluid and lethargic, and began writing on a stray paper absently, probably playing a game of Xs and Os with herself.

There was no hope of catching her attention now.

Not that that particularly bothered Naruto. If the Hokage's mind was a million miles away, the blond figured he couldn't be reprimanded for letting his stray as well. Not that it hadn't already. The blond's focus had been far from the recap at hand the second it had started He _had_ already had the absolute pleasure of experiencing the mission once.

And that was one time too many.

A sudden hand gesture caught Naruto off guard and his head snapped to Sakura.

She was still talking - just getting more into it now that the big finale was drawing closer.

At least he hoped it was.

In all actuality, the the girl's words were nothing more than a dull murmur at the back of Naruto's mind - a dull murmur that he was easily able to ignore. Especially when he noticed ominous clouds looming in the distance just beyond Tsunade's window.

There was a stark contrast where the thick black clouds met with the vibrant blue of the sky. They were rolling forward - rushing toward Konoha. They looked fantastic; a nice relief from the dry spell that had been plaguing the hidden village.

Naruto was looking forward to another relief as well.

Because he was back in Konoha, he would no longer have to deal with this new Sasuke that he had dragged back from Oto.

Sakura stopped speaking and the room went silent but Naruto didn't notice.

This new Sasuke was a Sasuke who never joked, or insulted, or sparred. Just sulked around, never saying anything.

"That's it, Hokage-sama," Sakura said when the silence had persisted. Three sets of eyes landed on her almost audibly and for the first time in the last forty-five minutes, Sakura had everyone's full attention.

'_It_?' Naruto wanted ask, just to make sure he had heard her right. But he didn't, he just rolled his sleeping foot a bit and let out a relieved sigh.

That was it.

-----

Sakura held tightly to Sasuke's arm, her eyes glowing with adoration as she chattered happily to the boy. They were all walking home now, taking the back streets because Sasuke wasn't very fond of crowds. It was almost as if nothing had changed.

Almost.

Naruto trailed the pair with no real intention of catching up, as he was rather preoccupied.

It struck him that if nothing really had changed, _he_ would be the one standing beside Sasuke talking non-stop about trivialities and whining about whatever he could think of - anything to get a rise out of the brunet.

But things had changed.

Maybe not for the better, but that was fine. Naruto drew in a breath and smiled even though - maybe just because - there was no one watching. He'd made it through far worse than a little silent treatment from a stubborn Uchiha and he would be damned if he let the bastard pull him into a crap mood!

In front of him, Sakura pulled Sasuke to a stop. They were in front of the academy now and would have to split ways.

"Naruto, I'll see you later okay?" the girl said. Her eyes were holding his, trying to figure out what was wrong; his skin prickled under the scrutiny, but he said nothing, instead picking up his pace and making his way to her side.

"Course you will!" he said with a laugh, nudging her side and offering a wide grin.

Sakura answered, "Don't be late this time then!" and her voice was scolding in the most friendly of manners, but Naruto didn't quite catch her words because Sasuke had stopped a few steps ahead. He was staring, the look cold and almost cruel.

One thought rang through Naruto's mind: _I don't care._

"Oh Sasuke, can you wait just a second?" Sakura waved her hand at him, bouncing to the balls of her feet.

The jerk didn't even look at her. He just kept staring at Naruto.

_I don't care_.

Naruto drew a deep breath.

_I don't care_.

And then Sasuke looked away from him and suddenly Naruto could breathe and there wasn't a giant weight spread across his chest.

The brunet nodded at Sakura then looked stubbornly to the side. He looked almost bored, Naruto thought, but really, he didn't care.

"Are you going home to wash up?" Sakura asked, returning her attention to Naruto. Her hands were held politely in front of her and she winked at him, promising the boy some of her time later.

The blond pulled an affronted expression. "Do I really smell that bad?" he asked incredulously as he peeled his sweaty tee away from his sticky body and sniffed it. Naruto let out a disgusted gasp. "Uh, pretend I didn't ask that."

Sakura laughed and patted his arm. "Done." She started to walk away then paused as if remembering something and glanced at him over her shoulder. "You're still welcome over for supper by the way"

It was only natural that Naruto's mouth watered at the thought. Still, he pulled a face and pretended to contemplate her invitation. "What're ya having?" he asked as if he might not come.

The look Sakura gave him clearly informed him that she knew he would be there.

"Something good. Just make sure you're there. My mother's been asking where you've been lately…" She trailed off, looking back in the direction she had been heading.

Sasuke was beginning to make his way down the street now, probably sick of waiting. When Sakura turned back at Naruto, there was a question in her eyes, 'Do you mind?' Naruto shrugged and shooed her off. He was rewarded with a smile.

"Sasuke-kun," Sakura called innocently as she took a tentative step in his direction, "Are you going by Ino's flower shop?"

The boy in question stopped and slowly - every move deliberate - turned around. His head was bowed but then he glanced up with blank, unfocused eyes and nodded while the wind of the approaching storm swept around him and pulled at his hair. He flicked several loose strands from his eyes and stared at Naruto almost…resentfully. Then the look was gone, replaced by nothing.

Naruto felt a shiver run down his spine at the apathy in his teammate's eyes. He hated this new Sasuke, this Sasuke, who, even after six months back in Konoha, refused to show any emotion or speak anything beyond what was required of him.

It seemed that Sakura, for all her observational prowess, was completely unaware of the building tension between her friends because she clapped her hands together with an excited giggle, effectively breaking whatever it was that had been happening.

Or perhaps she had known what was happening. Slight discomfort was evident to Naruto in Sakura's tightly clenched jaw; her smile was pinched and fake.

"Oh good! I'm going by Ino's too so we can walk together!" She decided gleefully, making her way over to Sasuke's side and latching onto his arm as she always had.

But she wasn't that Sakura from years back anymore. Not all the time anyway. She was only like that when she was around Sasuke.

There was no goodbye thrown over her shoulder to Naruto, which the blond had anticipated. He always seemed to disappear around Sasuke, which was fine, because the minute Sakura had touched him, Sasuke had tensed.

And even though it was horrible, that caused the blond the slightest bit of comfort.

-----

It had always been lonely living by himself, but before Sasuke had left, Naruto had felt a little less isolated. The stares of the villagers had been dulled to a bearable sting by his happiness. Then Sasuke had left, and, as far as Naruto was concerned, never returned.

The changes in his teammate weren't subtle, they were clear as day, pronounced and displayed for all to see. It was as if Sasuke _wanted_ everyone to hate him - and maybe he did.

After all, he had told Naruto that friendship only made him weak. And yet, Naruto couldn't believe that Sasuke wanted to be alone that desperately. For the blond shinobi, who had longed for company his entire life, the concept was foreign.

How could Sasuke handle it? How could he bear the constant remoteness of having no one to confide in? Naruto glanced up as the clouds approached at an ever quickening pace, bringing with them the damp, dusty scent of rain. He had always hated the rain and a part of him wondered when that had changed…

_Naruto glared across the cave at Saki-san, who was silently sipping water from his flask, eyes riveted to the fire before him. The flames flickered, dying, then sprang back to life, painting a quickly fading yet hypnotic vision of light and shadow upon the walls of the cave. Outside, rain poured down relentlessly, obscuring the group's visibility so drastically that they had had to call it a night and look for shelter. _

_Tired of holding the silent old man's dry gaze, Naruto cast his eyes around the cave, trying to find some sort of distraction that would allow him to move and work off his pent-up energy. _

_The flames were dying, he noted, watching the way they flared then flickered away until the flares were barely distinguishable from the flickers. Taking this as his distraction, Naruto stood. "Oi, baka!" he called to Sasuke, the sound bouncing among the cave's walls. "Get up and help me gather firewood," It was a demand._

_A look far too dry for the accompanying weather made its way to Naruto, but other than that, Sasuke did… nothing. He didn't huff indignantly or tell Naruto just where to shove it. He didn't even mention that it was raining outside and that collecting firewood would be an absolute waste of energy, and he __certainly__ didn't add an obligatory 'idiot' to the end of these nonexistent sentences._

_Sasuke simply stood up, traveled to the mouth of the cave where he glared at Naruto as if to say 'are you coming?', and continued on his way. _

_Hiding his shock and disappointment, Naruto hurried to catch up with and surpass Sasuke, knocking into him on the way out with a muttered 'bastard' under his breath. The action had no effect. Instead of getting a rise out of Sasuke as Naruto had hoped, he got nothing more than another dry look._

"_You know it wouldn't hurt you to talk," Naruto told Sasuke, not bothering to hide the bite from his tone._

"_And what purpose would that serve?" the Uchiha questioned in monotone. He was following Naruto casually as the blond led them blindly into the brush, avoiding trees with little ease in the reduced visibility. _

_Naruto pushed a dampened clump of hair from his eyes and turned around to glare at Sasuke, though he doubted Sasuke could see it through the rain._

"_Oh never mind," he huffed, holding Sasuke's barely visible eyes a moment longer before turning away and stomping deeper into the forest. It was irritating that Sasuke looking like a drowned rat wasn't as amusing as it should have been._

_They continued walking, Sasuke noiselessly following Naruto as the other blindly pushed through bushes and entwined branches, forging his own path. He'd completely forgotten about collecting firewood in his anger._

_It was then that Naruto realized they were lost. He glanced up and saw trees. He looked forward and saw more trees. To his left and right were trees and behind him was Sasuke, standing, soaked to the bone, and glaring… in front of a never-ending maze of trees. Naruto swallowed and shifted awkwardly, the rain and absolute monotony in scenery gave him no clues as to their location. _

_Translation: he had __**no**__ idea where they were._

"_Um, Sasuke…" Naruto started nervously. The dark-haired boy's eyes narrowed as he waited for Naruto to continue, "We're lost…"_

_Sasuke scowled but said nothing, opting instead to cross his arms and watch Naruto as if to say 'well then get us unlost.'_

_Naruto gulped and forced a laugh at his own expense. "You know, why don't we just sit down or something until the rain's gone…or something," he suggested with a hopeful look, just thinking of how ironic it would be if Sasuke killed him now, before they even had a chance to put their friendship back together._

_Sasuke's glare darkened, Naruto could tell that much through the haze of rain, but he sat on the ground in one smooth motion, though his body language made sure his direction-challenged teammate noted that this was below his dignity. Naruto followed suit with a nervous smile. _

_It was awkward, sitting with Sasuke in complete silence, too nervous to say anything because he just __**knew**__ that Sasuke would brush him off wordlessly. _

_Naruto sighed and resorted to drawing patterns in the ground in front of him mindlessly. His drawings, however, became victims of the rain and muddled together until they looked like nothing more than a puddle of mud. The blond huffed irritably, trying to hide the hopelessness he felt from his face and watched as the rain fell through the leaves above with a comforting sound. _

_As they fell, the thick droplets of water began adding weight to Naruto's already soaked clothing, drawing his defeated slouch increasingly inward. This was the first time he had let himself look this vulnerable in front of Sasuke since the other had returned six months ago._

_Naruto tore his gaze from the sky, his eyes landing on the wayward teammate he had always thought he'd known so well. He was surprised to notice that Sasuke was staring at him as well and the waterlogged blond made a point of masking the sadness on his face with curiosity. He certainly wasn't a masochist, and trying to talk to this new Sasuke would only prove to dampen his mood._

_This new Sasuke…Naruto couldn't stop brooding over him. He was so distant and emotionless. It reminded him of Sai, except Sai painted over all his apathy with a fake smile that could disarm the best of them. Sometimes Naruto wondered what Sasuke had been thinking when he had left. Actually, Naruto wondered about a lot of things when it came to Sasuke._

"_Was it worth is?" he suddenly asked, voicing his most prevalent question._

"_What?" Sasuke questioned, surprise and confusion knotting his eyebrows together. Naruto nearly smiled at the familiar expression, until it disappeared, taking his smile with it._

"_Was it worth it?" he repeated, staring solemnly at Sasuke. The frozen appendages that were his fingers withdrew into his sleeves as Naruto waited for Sasuke to reply._

"_Was __**what**__ worth it?" Sasuke asked through a clenched jaw. He was irritated, or at least Naruto assumed he was._

"_Everything." the blond replied, "Leaving, coming back, almost killing me…" His voice fell into a thoughtful whisper. "…just… everything." Staring at his sleeves, Naruto roughly rubbed the fingers together, keeping his gaze strictly away from Sasuke._

_There was a long pause and during it, the droplets of water pounding down on their heads began to lighten, though they still came down steadily. Naruto noted with surprise that Sasuke's breathing was uneven as it came out in irregular puffs of white of mist. Then the puffs evened out and the third member of Naruto's team looked at him with a solid expression._

"…_yes," Sasuke finally murmured, his deep voice ringing loudly through the patter of rain. Naruto dared not look up at Sasuke because the consequences… He refocused, and instead tried to quell the anger rising within him. It was visible - easily interpreted through the fierce shakes running through his body. The suddenness of the violent shakes discredited the cold as an excuse. Sasuke, being as observant as he was, must have caught on because his eyes became abruptly alert._

"_What did you say?" Naruto could hear the menace in his voice. It was a hint to Sasuke that he had best rethink his answer._

_Sasuke's firm gaze never wavered. _"_Yes." This time the answer was strong and immediate; its surety seemed to rip into Naruto._

"_You mean that almost killing me, __**killing yourself**__, was an equal price to pay for what you gained?" Naruto demanded in a hoarse growl._

_Sasuke's silence was enough of an answer to fuel Naruto onward; it wedged the metaphorical knife even deeper into him. It __**burned**_

_He wanted to punch Sasuke until his pretty little face was as marred and distorted as his personality had become. "What if I had__**died**__, Sasuke?" Naruto challenged, his voice rising. "Say you hadn't left me alive. What would you have done? Coming back would never have been an option." _

"_I wouldn't have wanted to come back…" Sasuke murmured under his breath, his voice barely a whisper, but Naruto, missing what Sasuke had said, spoke over him in a shrill and uncontrolled voice. _

"_More importantly, what if __**you**__ had died? You know about the The Kyuubi now. Do you __**understand**__ what kind of power you were up against? I could have killed you and you expect me to believe that you think it was worth it?" Naruto demanded sharply. The question repeated itself numerous times as it bounced off the surrounding trees rather than being absorbed by them._

_Sasuke was as calm as the ocean on a still summer day. No hints of unease were visible in his face, his body, his __**anything**_

"_You bastard…" Naruto whispered and was up on his feet aiming a punch at Sasuke's face strong enough to kill before his mind could even catch up. _

_Sasuke jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding Naruto's fist and surveyed his ally with slitted eyes. It only served to enrage Naruto further that Sasuke had not felt the need to activate his Sharingan._

"_Fuck you, bastard," Naruto hissed and lunged forward, smoothly drawing a kunai. His eyes flickered to the sword at Sasuke's hip and Naruto was painfully reminded of when Sasuke had killed Yamato._

"_Tell me Sasuke," he growled as his kunai clashed with the one Sasuke had drawn in defence, bringing them to an impasse, "why didn't you kill me? You had no problem killing Yamato-sensei. Why was I so special?" _

_Naruto's breathing was coming in short ragged gasps. He needed to calm down. He was seeing red, and not in the figurative sense. Glaring wrathfully, Naruto pulled back from his stalemate with Sasuke and drew in a deep breath that was executed with the intention of pulling The Kyuubi's chakra inward. _

_It worked. _

_He opened his eyes and all trace of red surrounding his pupils was gone._

"_Sasuke, why didn't you kill me?" Naruto stepped forward, dropping his kunai to the ground, lest he use it to slice the Uchiha into a million fragments of nothing. _

"_Because…" Sasuke's eyes were wild and yet so calm: controlled chaos. The two genin were so close now that Naruto could feel Sasuke's quick, trembling breaths on his face._

"_Why?" Naruto's attempt at stifling the shout caused his voice to crack and he took another step forward, another step towards the warmth he'd longed for during the last three years._

"_For the same reason I didn't kill you the first time," Sasuke whispered, his eyes focused firmly on Naruto's. His hand moved forward, barely, a millimetre at most, and it was touching Naruto's._

"_Which is…" Naruto prompted furiously - breathlessly. He didn't pull back from the touch with an enraged insult, as he would have three years ago. He instead moved his hand forward slightly into the challenge. His entire focus shifted to the nerves in the appendage, which felt as if they were short-circuiting._

"_I'm too weak…" Sasuke admitted with a scowl and stepped away, his head bowed in something akin to defeat. _

_Instead of the feeling the anger he'd expected at the answer, Naruto felt a tightness in his stomach - a sickness that threatened to purge itself from his body if he didn't do something. _

_Taking his lip between his teeth and biting __**hard**__ he turned and picked up the kunai he had dropped and replaced it in its holster - tried to stop his body from trembling, from gasping for air… from feeling._

"_The rain's lightened up enough that we should be able to find the cave," Sasuke commented after a moment in the unfamiliar tone that he had picked up in Oto. Then he turned around and headed in the direction they'd come from with Naruto following at his heels, feeling more lost than he had ever felt in his life._

-----

Naruto stood from his regular seat at Ichiraku's with a wide beam on his face as the man at the stand admonished him half-heartedly for the burp he had just released. A few customers shot him nasty glares, but the blond ninja easily ignored the looks with a good-natured chuckle.

"Sorry," he apologized with a sheepish grin.

"Of course you are," the man replied.

There was the ringing sound of laughter as the blond cheekily stuck his tongue out at the man and dropped a handful of coins onto the counter.

Tossing a quick goodbye over his shoulder at the man, Naruto ducked out of the stall, shielding his eyes on the way. The sky blushed brilliantly under a painted wash of pinks, purples and oranges. It was beautiful; the perfect backwash for that glittered upon the horizon. The village itself smelled of the storm that had passed over hours before - a fresh scent of grass and contentment.

The road crunched quietly beneath Naruto's feet on his trek. While walking home through the village, the boy was careful to keep his head down without making it obvious that he was avoiding the stares that were being aimed at him.

Naruto smiled vibrantly at the few people he recognized and, once it had broken through his features, the smile remained firmly in place, even for the people he didn't know. When he became Hokage they would understand that those smiles had been meant as a comfort, as a way of saying, 'I'm not what you think I am.'

Because he was under the impression that he was not spacing out, it came as a surprise to Naruto when he realized his feet were taking him to the clearing where he and Sasuke had spent their time together on Team 7 training, both of them slick with sweat and panting for air as they tried to beat the other. As they tried to domineer the other into submitting; into admitting that they were the weaker of the two.

Naruto shook his head and pushed that thought, no, _all thoughts_, of Sasuke aside, and walked into the clearing, staring around him as if only seeing the small hideaway for the first time.

The trees were lush with leaves, save for the tree he and Sasuke had always collapsed under after their training was done. That tree was covered in an array of blossoms that would bloom into apples come summer. He smiled faintly at the soft pink petals that dusted the ground. It was beautiful; a work of art.

He could almost see a younger version of himself lying under that tree next to Sasuke, laughing and making jabs at the other boy, who snorted with feigned contempt. An amused smile worked its way onto the dark-haired image's face as it slowly became more and more tangible to Naruto.

Pulling his eyes away from the illusion, Naruto sighed and pulled a shuriken from his holster. With little effort or concentration, the shinobi threw the metal blade to his left and hit his target, a knot in a tree, square in the centre.

Three shuriken followed the first, each one wedging itself deeper into the tree, a sign that Naruto was slowly becoming aggravated.

Sasuke was still lying in the cloud of pink blossoms, watching Naruto with a raised eyebrow as if to say 'is that the best you have, idiot?' A shuriken slashed through the image and it disappeared, leaving Naruto to his thoughts, which were fixed on the fact that he was here… alone. In a spot that was not just his, but _theirs_. Sasuke's image proved that.

"_I'm too weak."_

Naruto lashed out and began a series of punches on another tree, a tree that faced away from _their_ tree.

Why did Sasuke consider his inability to kill Naruto a weakness? The skin on Naruto's calloused knuckles ripped as the splintering wood pierced it. He winced slightly and continued his assault on the tree. Taking the counter attack as a challenge, he strengthened his offence.

Behind him, he heard a derisive snort.

He wanted to break something. Hear the satisfying crunch of wood before the tree fell to the ground as nothing more than a shadow of its former self. He wanted to know how Sasuke could allow such a thing to happen to him.

It was as if Naruto had to see something break for himself to understand how Sasuke could have been so thoroughly destroyed as a child. How Itachi had managed to snap the boy in half with barely a thought, the way Tsunade had managed to send Naruto flying through the air with nothing more than the flick of a finger.

Piercing red eyes drilled into the back of Naruto's skull.

The tree refused to break and instead mocked Naruto's weakness, its growing splinters laughing at how pitiful it all was. There were no sounds save for the splintering of wood. Naruto assumed his chakra was flaring with his anger, setting the instincts of the nearby animals on edge.

That was for the best.

He was intimately knowledgeable in the workings of instincts. He had relied on the the Kyuubi's far too many times to not be familiar with them. The stupid fox. Sasuke had seen it - touched it even.

Naruto's leg shot up and slammed into the tree. The shock vibrated upward and a littering of leaves began drifting to the ground.

Now Sasuke knew about the the Kyuubi. And he assumed. He had respected Naruto before when he had thought that the other boy was powerful. But now he had learned that Naruto's power was not his own, but rather an ancient demon's.

Naruto clenched his teeth; he would _never_ rely on the the Kyuubi again. Ever. Every accomplishment he made would be _his._ It would be won with _his_ bare hands.

The tree wasn't breaking.

Naruto stepped back and continued to do so until he was more than five meters away from the tree. His right hand was now held in front of him, a glowing ball of blue energy swirling in his palm.

Sasuke's eyes widened slightly in acknowledgement but Naruto ignored him.

He would see what it was to break something with _his_ power, not The Kyuubi's.

Without warning, he dashed forward and moved his hand until it was directly in front of him, aimed openly at the tree. When the connection of flesh and wood was finally made, the impact was incredible. His hand crashed through the tree, splitting it.

Breaking it.

Before the tree had time to collapse on him, Naruto pulled away, gathering chakra in his feet, and vaulted upwards slamming into the upper half with his shoulder. The direction of the fall rerouted, it fell - as if in slow motion - away from the clearing and hit the ground with a deafening boom.

In the silence that followed Naruto could hear only two things, his heartbeat and his breathing.

He stepped back, his mind swirling with a hundred different words - none of which he could pinpoint - and collapsed, sprawled upon the ground, suddenly realizing that night had fallen. As his temper subsided, his heartbeat and breathing did as well, leaving him to nothing but his restless thoughts and his quest for peace of mind.

Naruto frowned. Now he could hear two heartbeats and two exhales of breath and, drawn by the need to know who had been watching his outburst, he reached out to identify the source of the noise. The chakra was easily recognizable; it was Sasuke's.

His stomach clenched.

"Oi, bastard, you gonna stand there all day and watch me?" Naruto called.

Nothing.

He sat up, turned to where he felt Sasuke's chakra, and forced a grin.

_Just like old times._

"Are you coming or going?"

The chakra slowly moved away and Naruto's smile dropped.

'_Going. Always going,'_ he thought and fell back to the ground. The starry sky, framed by clusters of leaves, filled Naruto's view and he took in the sight greedily. It was beautiful and ethereal. A trail of light shot through the sky, catching his attention, and Naruto watched it, ignoring the way his skin suddenly prickled with the familiar warning of the Kyuubi's instincts.

'_Wish upon a shooting star.'_

Closing his eyes, Naruto let out a soft breath, sinking into the damp grass and into contentment. Sometimes he wished he were as invisible as he felt; then he would be able to form justification in his mind, true or not, for Sasuke's distance. He opened his eyes slowly then bit his lip in contemplation as the star disappeared from the sky.

It was then that the Kyuubi's chakra flared suddenly within Naruto in warning. But before he had time to react, a strange tugging sensation pulled his eyelids downward, just as the moon began to give off a faint red glow, and Naruto fell into a soft slumber.

* * *

AN - This is an edited/partially rewritten Chapter 1! Enjoy 

Reviews R Love!


	2. Chapter II

_Posted: Tuesday, June 13, 2006_

**Disclaimer**: Do not own.

**Warnings**: Shounen ai, spoilers for anyone not keeping up with the manga, & AUish. Anything involving Akatsuki and bijuus after the timeskip is completely irrelevant to this story, and as such, never happened. Actually, this applies to everything after the timeskip except the part where Naruto, Sakura, and Sai meet up with Sasuke.

**General**: Takes place after chapter 308 for those of you that_ are_ keeping up with the manga.

**Thank yous**: peachie-x and Nox (betas) as well as everyone who has reviewed SF. Much love!

**Summary**: _The invisibility started with one silly wish upon a star. Good thing Sasuke's doormat personality, Sai's attempts at matchmaking, and a mission gone wrong were all quite normal in the life of Naruto Uzumaki... Wait. What? SasuNaru_

* * *

**Previously**: 

"_Naruto closed his eyes and let the only thought in his mind surface. Sometimes he wished he were as invisible as he felt; then he would be able to form justification in his mind, true or not, for Sasuke's distance. He sighed and bit his lip in contemplation as the star disappeared from the sky. _

_It was then that Kyuubi's chakra flared suddenly within Naruto in warning. But before he had time to react, a strange tugging sensation pulled his eyelids downward, just as the moon began to give off a faint red glow, and Naruto fell into a soft slumber."_

* * *

**Surface Flaws**

Chapter II

"_I'll find you somewhere  
I'll keep on trying until my dying day  
I just need to know whatever has happened,  
The truth will free my soul."_

_-Somewhere (Within Temptation)_

Naruto opened his eyes and stared at the sky, focusing on the red-tinted world that had thrown itself upon him like a blanket during his sleep. The colour, it seemed, was exclusive to the sky. So when Naruto brought a hand to his face, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, and saw his hand covered in a thin film of red, the surprise that grasped him was very fitting.

He took a moment to observe his appendage in silent wonder. The red was reflecting off his hand in much the same way light reflected off objects under water, creating an odd illusion of lines and sparkles that were almost hypnotic in their beauty.

Around him, the sounds of night echoed in the clearing, composing a symphony that continuously lulled from the harsh buzz of dissonance to the soothing tone of resolution. It was to this tune that Naruto's mind slowly swam into focus, taking in the small wisp of cloud that fiercely hid the moon above. He had fallen asleep outside, he realized a moment later as he slowly stood from the ground on shaky feet, feeling almost transparent in his tiredness.

Between the trees, the flicker of something, a shadow perhaps, was visible for a moment before it disappeared; allowing the night to close in around Naruto - embrace him. Within the confines of his mind and body, Kyuubi paced with raging unease, releasing a sudden burst of chakra in warning.

The drowsy ninja staggered at the sudden discharge of energy and grasped the nearest tree for balance. The startling wave of nausea that had grasped him was unexpected but not completely a surprise. It pulled him closer to the tree as he fought the pain surging through his body, his cheek pressing against the rough texture of the bark hard enough to leave a myriad of lines indented in his skin.

The sensation provided brief respite from the ache grasping his body. However, when the discomfort returned, the young ninja found himself pushing away from the tree, both his hands finding his head in a distressed jumble of movement. His mind was spouting forth soothing words to the demon sealed within his body desperately, trying to find some way to quiet the irritated animal.

When trying to calm the edgy fox failed as was expected, Naruto slowly made his way from the clearing with a defeated sigh -a subtle stagger caused by unexpected waves of nausea was visible in his gait- and back to his apartment. He slept uneasily for the better part of the morning with haunting dreams and an unexplainable feeling of dread as his only company.

-----

Wind rushed past his face and pulled back tufts of blonde hair as Naruto lunged forward, his fist drawn back in preparation to strike the opponent that stood across the clearing. He cursed when his punch missed its target and instead whizzed through the air as his adversary dived to the side, lashing out a leg that nearly knocked him from his feet.

Luckily, the blonde shinobi's coordination had increased over the years and Naruto managed to roll into a standing position, his chest rising and falling with labored breaths, a sign that he was combating a worthy opponent.

He grinned. The image had a feral appeal to it as it was accentuated by jagged canines and distinct whisker marks, but Naruto had never known how untamed his appearance could become.

The boy continued his assault by leaping into the air; sending six shuriken soaring down and in the direction of his opponent's shocked face. Surrounding his frozen combatant was the field, matted from their war, the grass crushed to the ground. The six lethal weapons soared through the air and hit their target with a dull thud before being engulfed in a thick cloud of smoke with a pop.

Naruto frowned and landed on the ground in a squatting position, watching suspiciously as the smoke cleared to reveal a log with six shuriken embedded deep within it, proof that he had been outwitted.

On the bright side, at least his aim was on, he thought with a subtle shrug.

"Too slow," a voice taunted as a shadow fell over Naruto. The boy looked up, visibly surprised, and rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding a well-aimed punch that left a large crater in the ground. He let out a hiss of breath and dug his fingers into the dirt, building up the chakra in his feet.

Leaping backwards and landing on a sturdy tree branch, the hidden ninja glared at the figure below. "Don't speak too soon," he murmured with a smirk as his hands flew through a series of seals.

"Kage Bunshin No Jutsu." Three identical copies of the blonde boy appeared in the surrounding space. It was almost humorous how they all adopted arrogant stances and looked at their creator expectantly. A light shuffle below drew the boy's interest; his opponent was staring at them with an irked expression.

"Naruto," a voice called below him in exasperation, "I thought we agreed that we weren't going to use jutsus." There was a hint of admonishment in the person's tone.

Naruto glanced at the three figures surrounding him and made a nervous face. "Sorry guys," he said, reluctantly letting the clones go with a blush. Oops.

The branch dipped under his weight as the blonde leaped down from it, landing next to his opponent with an embarrassed grin. "Sorry Sakura-chan."

The girl snorted and gave Naruto a dry look.

"It was instinct!" He defended, plopping to sit on the ground beside her, catching his breath with deep controlled gasps.

Sakura shrugged. "Well, I guess it doesn't really matter because you lose by default either way," she replied carelessly, watching Naruto from the corner of her eye with the beginnings of a smirk.

"What!" He turned to stare at her with shock, his voice rising in outrage, "I do not. I had the advantage the whole time." A childish pout slowly made its way onto his face as he crossed his arms.

"Mhm," his female teammate conceded with an irritated eyeroll that landed on the ground and softened much too quickly. The matted grass around her was yellow and scattered, intermingled with bare patches of dirt that provided testimony to the abuse the field endured.

Naruto smirked at the admission, and adjusted his position so he was lying on his stomach, his head relaxing on the backs of his hands. Slowly, his gaze moved to Sakura. She had a distracted expression on her face as she stared at a blade of grass she had picked and was rolling between her fingers slowly and deliberately.

"What'cha thinking about?" Naruto asked, glancing up from the plant in Sakura's hand to her face. She shrugged, scowling as the blade began to leave traces of green liquid on her fingers.

Her lack of commitment to the conversation didn't seem to deter the blonde in any way, however. "Well, you know what I think you should do?" he continued with a contemplative expression. Sakura dropped the grass blade and plucked another.

"What?" she murmured, pretending to be paying attention to his words. The melancholy tone in her voice didn't float over Naruto's head as most would have expected and he watched with concern as her hands danced over her skirt then grasped another handful of grass.

"I think a bowl of ramen would cheer you up." Naruto's eyes closed knowledgeably before tightening into an unthinking wince. He waited for Sakura to yell something and smack him upside the head, but she simply threw her newest blade of grass at him with a smile.

"I think a bowl of ramen would only add to my dehydration." She corrected and laughed at the way Naruto screwed his face up as if he were insulted, sticking his tongue out at her.

Shifting into a sitting position that allowed his face to be level with hers, Naruto adopted a solemn expression. "But really, what's up?"

Sakura averted her gaze, lifting and dropping her shoulders in a resigned shrug as a soft breeze tousled her hair fondly and brought a heartrending smile to her lips. The delicate skin of her throat bobbed as the girl drew in shuddering breath.

"Yamato-sensei?" he guessed quietly, peering into Sakura's face and pulling her gaze to his, unprepared for the dim quality that her eyes had adopted.

She nodded.

"Yeah, I think about that a lot too," Naruto admitted. His fist clenched around a handful of the orange material of his pants, and he sighed. Death was the one aspect of being a shinobi he would never allow himself to grow comfortable with.

"He's just so different," Sakura murmured, her voice so quiet Naruto would have sworn it was simply a stray thought in the breeze, had he not been waiting for her to speak. Of course, Naruto knew without asking which 'he' Sakura was referring to. Sasuke.

She continued in a passive voice, "I don't know. I just thought he'd be the same when he came back. I know that was foolish of me. I mean I _knew_ he wouldn't be the person that left and I expected changes, I really did. But…" Sakura trailed away at a loss.

"You didn't think they'd be so…big?" Naruto supplied. He understood how Sakura felt. Sasuke wasn't the same, wasn't even trying to hide it. It made him furious that Sasuke's actions were hurting more people than himself. He hated it when Sakura was upset.

"You too?" The girl glanced up, staring at her teammate through the curtain of her eyelashes, catching the brief flicker of fury in Naruto's eyes.

"Yeah," he murmured, "me too."

"You know, when I saw him for the first time in Sound I barely recognized him." Her eyes began to tear and she wiped at them stubbornly, refusing to cry. "It was Sasuke I was staring at, the same person that I'd loved for as long as I can remember, but there was just something different about him. He's always been an asshole, that's undeniable but he was beyond that. He was just…so dark…"

Naruto bit his lip, torn between hugging Sakura and trying to keep her talking. He didn't know what to do. He had no idea how to deal with his own emotions let alone those of his friends.

"And then he was in front of you in the blink of an eye, katana drawn and poised to kill you at any moment…" Sakura's eyes lifted and met Naruto's, squinting against the sun, "I think that's when I stopped loving him," she whispered, as if the confession were painful.

Naruto had had no idea. "Sakura…"

He was completely dumbfounded by the admission and found his gaze straying to the sky as it always did when he was confused. The way the world above him always ended up the way it had started was like a sick comfort to Naruto. It was sick because it taunted him by being unattainable and comforted him because it proved to him that at least one thing in his life would remain constant.

He needed that sort of comfort when it felt as if the world were shifting beneath his feet, rolling away as he struggled to keep up. Somehow, Naruto always ended up falling short.

Sakura not loving Sasuke was as foreign a concept to him as Shikamaru running laps in his spare time as a form of entertainment…it was just unimaginable.

The pink-haired girl's fingers grasped the hem of her dress and she toyed with the fabric anxiously as a tremor ran through her slim body and stayed in her hands. Naruto's eyes widened in concern; she was shaking.

"Wow," she breathed, "I can't believe I just…Naruto?"

He looked up at his name to see that Sakura was suddenly filled with a sort of nervous energy. Her eyes refused to stay focused on any one point at a time and instead danced around Naruto's face nervously.

"Yeah?"

"Don't tell anyone I said that because…I don't…" She plucked another blade of grass from the ground and let out an irritated breath. The thoughts in her mind were too confusing to be formed into words that would end up as meaningless syllables.

"I understand," he mumbled.

But really, he had no idea what had just happened and a part of him hoped he never would.

-----

The shower was a nice place to relax, and always had been. With the relaxation hot water provided, there also came a sense of mental calmness, a sense that eventually everything would work out. It was nice to cling to such a feeling when every step down the road of life seemed to suggest otherwise.

Naruto drew the shower curtain open, and watched with vague interest as the steam rushed forward, settling on the mirror. The nearest towel, which was a vibrant orange, landed snugly on his hips moments later just as three sharp knocks sounded on the door of his apartment.

"Coming," the ruffled boy yelled and turned to the mirror, quickly running his fingers through his hair in a vain attempt to look decent for his visitor.

Three more knocks sounded, this time harder - more annoyed.

"I'll be there in a second," Naruto shouted, letting out an irritated huff of breath. He left the washroom and ran to the door, pulling it open with a grouchy: "Hello."

"I'd suggest you keep the towel up. You wouldn't want everyone in Konoha to know you don't have a penis," the person at the door said with a smile, not missing a beat.

Naruto stared at Sai in anger, as he absorbed the meaning of the former Roots member's warped greeting. Said Roots member was grinning cheekily at Naruto, his eyes crinkling with mirth at the private joke. The bright weather on the other side of the door seemed to share in the boy's amusement at the pathetically unfunny joke.

The offense had been unnecessary and Naruto definitely wasn't in the mood to deal with insults, harmless or not. So, he slammed the door shut -to hell with being a good host- and headed for his bedroom in search of some shorts and a shirt. It took a fair degree of effort to control his smirk at the image of Sai's slightly widened eyes when the door came swinging towards him.

As Naruto was pulling an orange tank over his head, he heard the door open and the distinct sounds of footsteps in his home.

"You know Sai," the boy called as he slipped his pants on, "I was starting to actually think you weren't a giant bastard." There was a definite edge in his voice, and it certainly wasn't playful.

"My deepest apologies, Naruto." Sai's voice was just outside Naruto's bedroom door now and there was a pregnant pause before the boy continued. "Are you decent? I would hate to not see anything…"

Naruto scowled and made his way to the hall. "Yes, I'm decent." He growled through clenched teeth, adding an aggravated 'bastard' under his breath as an afterthought as he rounded into the kitchen where Sai was sitting at the table, a calm expression on is face. The image of the immaculately groomed boy sitting in Naruto's unkempt kitchen was rather uncomplimentary and Naruto felt a surge of embarrassment at the poor quality of his home.

"Good." Sai grinned -his smile sincere- at Naruto and the other boy found his anger ebbing away.

"Hmph," Naruto grumbled, holding his angry pretence, "I don't even know why I agree to seeing you, because all you ever do is make fun of me."

Sai chuckled. "It's because I buy you ramen."

This caught the blonde boy's attention and he perked up immediately, his eyes dancing deviously under his eyebrows, which were rising and falling suggestively.

"Well then, Ichiraku's it is!" he exclaimed and bounded out his front door leaving Sai to tag along behind, watching Naruto a little too closely and a little too intensely. His concern, Naruto thought, upon glancing back at the boy, was a little too apparent.

-----

Ichiraku's was relatively quiet for a late Saturday afternoon but neither Sai nor Naruto were complaining, because it provided them both the perfect opportunity to discuss topics that had otherwise been left untouched. Such as the mission to retrieve Sasuke.

"So is it really that different being back here now that you've left Roots?" Naruto asked curiously around a mouthful of noodles, oblivious to the grubby counter his elbows were resting upon. The stains would go unnoticed until later that week when the blonde made an attempt at doing laundry.

An awkward expression came onto his Sai's face as he thought of Naruto's question and watched his elbows. "Kind of. I definitely get the impression that Sasuke blames a lot of the tension between the two of you on me."

"Oh," Naruto said, catching onto Sai's discomfort with the subject, "Well, he's just being a baby. Don't take it personally."

This answer didn't seem to satisfy the former Roots member, but Naruto didn't know what else to say to appease his friend's worry. He breathed in the aroma of ramen in the air and let images of his best friend float through his mind. The distance between them was unbearable and, as much as he tried, Sai would never be able to fill the void that Sasuke had created in Naruto's life.

"Do you talk to him at all anymore?" The blonde continued, but what he was really asking was if Sasuke ever said anything about him.

"No." If Sai was aggravated with the constant questions, he was doing a good job at hiding it, Naruto thought as the other boy gave him a reassuring smile. The awkward moment passed when Sai's gaze wandered to the blonde's empty ramen bowl and he reached into his pocket, withdrawing a handful of coins, which he dropped on the counter.

Naruto murmured his thanks and hopped off his seat, frowning. "That sucks. Are you and the other genin all getting along well at least?"

Sai smiled. "Yes," he replied. It was a fake smile - Naruto could tell.

"You don't have to fake a smile for me." He felt slightly stung that Sai felt the need to do so in the first place. It had been six months and the blonde had felt that they had made quite a bit of progress.

Sai shifted uneasily. "It's an old habit I suppose," he said, and then looked at Naruto as if searching for something. It was the same intense gaze Tsunade and Sakura gave him. It was as if they were looking for something Naruto couldn't give them. A crow cawed in the distance, its voice piercing through the silence.

Sai appeared as if he were about to say something, something he had been putting off. The knot in his eyebrows and the way his fingers kept twining together gave his anxiety away.

Naruto felt his body stiffen and he forced a smile as Sai's mouth opened…and then Sai smiled too, his fake smile, which erased all concern from his face, "Hello Shikamaru," he said, catching Naruto completely off guard.

The blonde ninja spun around, and found himself staring at Shikamaru, who was uncharacteristically tense, and looked troubled rather than indifferent. His lips pulled into a thin smile as he issued a mechanical greeting and kept walking.

"I wonder what's up with him…" Naruto looked at Sai curiously, then turned and watched Shikamaru's retreating back. The boy's pace was slow and careful, each step taken with the same deliberate care that only a genius could exert with little effort.

Then the ninja that was renowned for his laziness stopped completely out of nowhere and retraced his steps, bringing him back to the two genin. He surveyed them with a thoughtful frown.

"Were either of you near the West wall last night?" he asked, motioning for them to follow as he made his way towards a secluded alley. The genin shared a look of confusion and followed.

"Why? What happened?" Naruto asked curiously when they were out of earshot of the townsfolk, who had watched the trio hungrily, starved for gossip. Their eyes had been pinned to the ninja and they had moved in, their ears perked and ready to pass on any information they intercepted. Sasuke had been the primary talk of Konoha for so long that no one knew what else to speak of.

"The Hokage called me in today," Shikamaru replied offhandedly, "apparently there was a strange burst of unidentifiable chakra last night near the west wall."

Naruto frowned at this, staring at the ground. "I was near the west wall yesterday and I didn't feel it." He ignored the ominous feeling of tension in his stomach and shifted his weight from foot to foot anxiously.

"In the evening?" Shikamaru stared at Naruto with a lazy but expectant expression, his eyes narrowing at his comrade's odd action.

"I was training and I fell asleep, I was there almost all night," Naruto confirmed. He bit his lip hard enough to draw blood, the metallic flavor assaulting his taste buds. He hadn't felt anything last night had he?

"Oh." Shikamaru's face fell into a contemplative stare at the ground, and, after bidding Naruto and Sai goodbye, he continued on, his face not giving away any hint at all as to what he was thinking.

The minute Naruto and Sai were on the quiet road that led to Naruto's apartment, Sai turned to Naruto, apparently remembering his earlier train of thought.

"Have you and Sasuke regained your bond?"

Naruto sped up his pace, his mind flying back to the mission he had been on two days earlier. The path before him was too long, and the trees around him began to close in around him. He licked a drop of blood from his lip, trying to hide from the question.

"_Was it worth it?"_

"_Yes."_

He shuddered and shrugged. "Kind of, I guess."

They had reached Naruto's apartment and for that, he was thankful. The conversation had been taking a turn in a direction Naruto definitely was not comfortable with.

Thinking about his friendship with Sasuke and talking about it were two completely different things. Also, Naruto didn't think it would be fair to Sasuke to divulge the complications of their fragile relationship -_not friendship_- to anyone, particularly Sai. Sasuke and Sai did _not_ get along, if Naruto's earlier conversation with Sai was any indication.

Naruto smiled and bid the dark-haired shinobi goodbye, saying he'd see him sometime soon.

Once tucked away from the world in the confines of his apartment, Naruto collapsed on his couch with a giant sigh, letting forth all the thoughts he had been keeping tucked away all day.

First, there was Sakura, though he doubted she would ever repeat what had been said again. To Naruto, her admission regarding Sasuke was implausible. Her clingy nature with the boy was just as strong now as it had been three years ago, although in a more mature nature.

Then, there was Sasuke. Naruto recalled feeling the boy's presence in the clearing the day before and, even though he had left, the blonde took his friend's uninvited company as a sign that perhaps Sasuke didn't want to be as alone as he let on. If that were the case, then avoiding Sasuke like the plague would not prove to be a good thing in the long run.

Biting his lip nervously, Naruto decided that, whether Sasuke liked it or not, he was going to restore their friendship if it was the last thing he did, which meant visiting Sasuke. And, Naruto thought as he pulled on his favorite orange jacket, what better time to visit than the current time?

-----

Turning onto the road that had once housed the Uchiha clan was like turning into a graveyard. There was dead silence and even the soft rustle of the wind had little effect, as there was nothing for it to disturb.

The houses were all aged and weatherworn; the paint peeling and faded on many houses while others showed the scars of war in the form of broken windows and caved-in walls.

It was with his head bowed in respect, and his hands shoved uncomfortably in his pockets that Naruto made his way down the desolate road, feeling as if he'd taken a step into both the past and future at the same time. Sasuke's home was midway down the street and easily spotted; it was the only house that had been maintained. The paint was clean and fresh and the windows showed not a trace of dust.

The walkway to his friend's home was lined with red and purple dragon snaps, which Naruto found odd; he had never imagined Sasuke to be the gardening type. Perhaps his mother had planted the flowers during Sasuke's childhood and the boy continued the tradition as a way of holding onto her.

Sometimes, Naruto wondered if his parents were proud of who he had become and sometimes he wondered if Sasuke shared these thoughts as well. The wind howled mournfully and the teen couldn't suppress the shudder that ran down his spine, he hated being alone and the desolate road inspired just that feeling.

When he finally reached the door of the Uchiha home, Naruto just stood there, staring at it - willing Sasuke to come open it of his own accord. The little house was tragic and the boy felt as if he were invading on its personal misfortune by standing there in his orange jumpsuit with his bright blue eyes, and vivid blonde hair. He did not belong on a street that had once been home to the Uchiha clan, not that he felt he really belonged anywhere…

And yet, nobody belonged in a place that possessed nothing more than memories and ghosts. Sasuke had said that there was nothing left for him in the future and that he lived in the past.

Naruto's knuckles rapped on the Uchiha heir's door three times and then he waited.

There wasn't a sound in the house. Nothing moved, no shadows flickered by the windows - it was absolutely still. It was with this realization that Naruto had to admit that Sasuke wasn't home. Then again, when had he ever been home, really?

-----

"Naruto!" The boy in question stopped with an awkward look of surprise on his face as Ino called to him cheerfully. The flower shop was mere steps away, and the blonde female was standing in the doorway with an expectant grin.

"Ino," Naruto replied with a wary smile. He had no idea why Ino was talking to him because they had certainly never been _friends,_ acquaintances perhaps, but friends, no. She ushered him forward, and led him into the shop, which seemed to smell exactly as Ino did, or perhaps it was the other way around and Ino smelled of the flower shop. He figured the latter was more plausible; still, the sensation was disconcerting.

Naruto stopped, his cautious smile spreading to a grin when he saw that Chouji and Sakura were also in the shop.

"Hey!" He plopped down on a stool between the two ninjas and stared up at Ino, who had come to stand before them all, her expression serious.

"Okay, hopefully no one else is going to walk by, because I am not pulling another stray off the street." She paused to sigh, rather dramatically in Naruto's opinion, then grinned, "I've been waiting all day to tell Sakura, and everyone else for that matter, that I'm holding a party for her birthday oh…tomorrow!" Ino squealed, her eyes crinkling to accommodate the grin on her face.

It was Sakura's birthday. That was a surprise, Naruto thought, and stared at Ino with a dumb smile as she was nearly knocked over by an excitedly squeaking blur of pink.

He shared a look with Chouji. Both boys seemed to have the same idea in mind, 'so what?' Naruto personally had been expecting Ino to say something along the lines of 'I dropped two pant sizes' or…perhaps something a little more feminine. What he hadn't expected her to care about was Sakura's birthday.

Actually, the last time Naruto had checked, Sakura and Ino had hated each other, or at least couldn't tolerate each other.

"The party will be at 7:00," Ino announced as she peeled Sakura off her with a laugh that wasn't shrill or condescending in the least. It must have been a long time, Naruto realized with a bit of a start. Ino had changed and matured over the years.

Then again, what had he been expecting? That everyone would stay behind as Team 7 moved forward, or backward, depending on how you looked at it. They were easily one of the most powerful genin teams in Konoha but they had lost their incredible teamwork since Sasuke's disappearance.

Naruto's eyes widened slightly at the realization and he felt his eyes rove over his friends as if he were seeing them for the first time. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Ino handed Sakura a daisy and Sakura attacked her with another hug.

Chouji stood up and walked towards the pink-haired ninja. "Happy birthday Sakura-chan," he said, giving Sakura a hearty grin and taking her into a loose hug. They pulled apart and Ino said something that brought the three of them into a sudden burst of laughter.

Naruto had been expecting Chouji to ask something about food, not hug Sakura and make jokes with the group.

The smile on the blonde's face stayed firmly in place. Apparently, lots had changed while he had been off with Jiraiya, and trailing Sasuke. Except, that wasn't true because Naruto had never belonged with these people. Prejudice ran deep through their veins, it had been instilled in them as children and he couldn't blame them for that.

Sakura glanced over her shoulder at Naruto as she joked with Ino, and gave him the tiny smile that she reserved for him alone. Then her attention strayed back to Ino and Chouji, and Naruto suddenly realized that not only Sasuke had left him behind, but so had everyone else.

The same smile was still plastered on his face as he excused himself and made his way home, his thoughts swirling. By the time he reached his apartment Naruto's thoughts weren't the only thing swirling.

He clutched at his stomach and let out a sharp gasp as the fox seemed to rip at his insides in anger.

A flicker skirted along the edge of Naruto's vision and he felt the same tugging sensation on his eyelids as he had the previous night.

"Shit…" He managed to whisper in pain before he lost consciousness and slumped against the door, his vision blurring with red.

* * *

ANs: Ok, here's the second chapter. I love long thought out reviews (nudge nudge) so if you like it leave me some love! Oh, and there will be craploads of Sasuke next chapter! I swear!  
-TJ 


	3. Chapter III

_Posted: June 28, 2006_

**Disclaimer**: Do not own.

**Warnings**: Shounen ai, spoilers for anyone not keeping up with the manga, & AUish. Anything involving Akatsuki and bijuus after the timeskip is completely irrelevant to this story, and as such, never happened. Actually, this applies to everything after the timeskip except the part where Naruto, Sakura, and Sai meet up with Sasuke.

**General**: Takes place after chapter 308 for those of you that_are_ keeping up with the manga.

**Thank yous**: peachie-x and Nox (betas) as well as everyone who has reviewed SF. Much love!

**Summary**: _The invisibility started with one silly wish upon a star. Good thing Sasuke's doormat personality, Sai's attempts at matchmaking, and a mission gone wrong were all quite normal in the life of Naruto Uzumaki... Wait. What? SasuNaru_

* * *

**Previously**: 

"_A flicker skirted along the edge of Naruto's vision and he felt the same tugging sensation on his eyelids as he had the previous night. _

"_Shit…" He managed to whisper before he lost consciousness and slumped against the door with the image of a red-washed world."_

* * *

**Surface Flaws**

Chapter III

"_We build a tree house  
I keep it from shaking  
Little more glue every time that it breaks  
Perfectly balanced  
And then I start making  
Conscious, deliberate mistakes"_

_-Nobody Needs to Know (The Last Five Years)_

It was to the strange sensation of prickling deep within his stomach that Naruto awoke the next morning, with no recollection of how he had ended up in his bed, or when he had even arrived home. All he could remember was red, pain, and a disorienting feeling of dizziness; a feeling that had probably led to him eventually falling unconscious, which seemed to be happening quite frequently as of late. He let out a soft sigh and refused to open his eyes -refused to face the world.

As Naruto avoided completely waking, the rough pads of his fingers stroked his stomach inattentively, as if the touch would be enough to ease Kyuubi's restlessness. They felt warm upon the delicate skin, and almost seemed to tickle. It was a relaxing sensation, one that made opening his eyes that much more difficult.

When Naruto finally did manage to overcome this trivial barrier, he had to blink several times before his eyes came into focus. The stucco texture of his ceiling, which seemed to be tainted a soft, almost pinkish red, threw him off guard and he found himself squinting suspiciously; that was odd.

The hand on his stomach found its way to his face, and the boy wearily rubbed at his eyes, removing all traces of sleep that had formed during the night. Then he carefully glanced back at the ceiling, only to discover that it was still a faint crimson colour.

After finding that trying to rid his vision of the tint was useless, Naruto sat up and threw his legs over the side of the bed, holding back a surprised yelp at the sting of cold wood upon his feet. His expression grew sullen and the weary boy let out a string of groggy curses regarding his unreliable heater and the sudden hunger that was assailing him.

Figuring that a good solid meal was in order, he made his way to the kitchen in nothing but a pair of low pajama bottoms that were far too long and dragged on the floor behind him. As he rounded into the kitchen, Naruto spared a quick glance at the calendar and paused, his eyebrows drawing together in concentration.

_Sakura's Birthday _

The notice was in thick black marker, and surrounded with stars and spirals for emphasis, which was fortunate for -knowing his memory- he would have missed it had it been marked in any other fashion.

Eyebrows rising in surprise at the reminder, Naruto smiled and continued on his trek to the kitchen. Today was not only Ino's not-so-surprise-party, but it was also the ideal day for buying Sakura's present. The gift had to be perfect, Naruto concluded as he went through the automatic motions of preparing cereal. It had to be the kind of present that only a best friend could give.

Naruto sat, waiting for his cheerios to become soggy -an odd preference of his- and contemplated his gift for Sakura. Whatever he chose, it_would_ be perfect.

But first, he would indulge in the wonders of semi-homemade cereal.

-----

The market was average for a late Sunday morning. There were people milling in small groups and pairs, but for the most part the street was empty. Shopkeepers stood talking to neighbors and customers alike, with bright grins. They seemed completely unaware of the world around them as they indulged in the life they took for granted. Few noticed Naruto's presence as he shuffled by, his head hung in an attempt to appear inconspicuous.

After a few blocks, Naruto began to feel concerned. He was receiving no cheerful greetings from the people he knew, and no nasty glares from the people he didn't. Not to mention the sun was giving off a red tint. It seemed that no one else had noticed this fact, however. Or perhaps he was the only person walking through this strange red hazed world, in which case the sun that had not changed over night, but rather Naruto had.

It was just as he was about to turn into Sakura's favorite shop, that Naruto felt his stomach rumble in warning. He winced and grabbed the offending body part, glancing over his shoulder to make sure no one had heard the sound. When he was positive that he wasn't going to receive any disgusted looks, Naruto booted it to the nearest public washroom and all but leaped into the stall, falling onto the seat with a pleased sigh.

Really, as vulgar as it was, Naruto enjoyed the feeling of relieving himself and, as he sat there on the cold seat of the toilet, he awaited the reduction of the stomachache to which he had become so accustomed.

However, this time the feeling of relief was warped by a strange tugging sensation at his navel. It almost felt as if something were pulling him inside out, and through a hole in the world so fast his eyes couldn't register the movement. He could feel his cheeks and hairline pulling back, stretching his eyes until they were slitted so tightly they were almost shut.

It was suffocating, and Naruto began to heave in gasps of air that were difficult to take in. His ribcage began to collapse inward, crushing Kyuubi, who had suddenly decided to give off an unexpected burst of chakra in warning.

The blonde coughed, a spattering of blood spraying from his mouth, which stopped while airborne, before disappearing into oblivion. The world around him shifted and his stomach seemed to tear away from his body, creating the most painful experience of his life.

Then it stopped.

His eyes opened, his ribcage expanded, his stomach fell back into place, and his cheeks returned to their normal fullness. He was no longer short of breath; the only symptom that remained was the nervous buzzing in his head, and Kyuubi's feeling of foreboding.

He stared at his hands, expecting them to be shaking, but they were still. His body was strong and solid, just like it had been before the experience.

Trying to forget what had just happened, Naruto flushed the toilet with a frown and made his way from the stall where he reached the sink and rinsed his hands. A jittery man watched with beady eyes as Naruto went about his business, trying to hide his panic behind a bright smile.

"Hello," Naruto greeted cheerfully, wiping his hands on his pants, and grinning from ear to ear.

"Ynh," the man muttered, and hurried from the room, leaving Naruto alone - not that he was surprised. It had only been a matter of time before the looks came back, and the sun ceased to glow red, instead returning to its normal hue.

That was good. At least now he wasn't seeing things.

Naruto retraced his steps, leaving the washroom and making his way back to his previous destination with growing resolve to find Sakura the perfect gift. Absently, he noted that the street was filled with more people than it had been before he had gone to the washroom and as he walked, he passed an old couple discussing the purchase of a new birdbath.

When he grew old, Naruto hoped to have a birdbath, and hopefully, someone to help him buy it. A small smile found its way to his face at the pleasant thoughts, and he let his feet take him down the familiar path until he was nearly at the store.

Only, he never made it into the store because Sasuke was across the street, immersed in a book with a thick black cover. Naruto paused, staring at the vision of the dark-haired youth. Ultimately, he was all soft lines and harsh contrasts in colours. Perhaps that was what made him so beautiful. Hesitantly, the blonde made his way across the street, unsure of what he was going to say to his teammate.

"Oi, Sasuke!" Naruto called, and rushed the rest of the way to settle at Sasuke's side. "How are you?"

The dark-haired boy raised an eyebrow and stared at Naruto with a dull expression, saying nothing. His eyes slid back to the book as if he was trying to appear casual and Naruto bristled at the obvious brush off. He was _not_ going to let Sasuke run away from him any more - he couldn't.

"That's great," Naruto responded to the silence, and moved around to stare over Sasuke's shoulder at the text. It was long, detailed, and way above his head. The dark-haired boy's shoulders tensed as his friend scanned the book, and he shifted so that the pages were hidden from Naruto's view.

Undeterred, the blonde moved to the side. "Are you sure this isn't a little too simple for you, Sasuke?" he asked and pointed at a random word on the page, "I swear, I've known that one since I was five."

The brunette scoffed and shut the book on Naruto's finger, his head swinging around so that the boys were staring at each other; one with an indignant pout and the other an uneasy glare. "What do you want?"

Three years ago, Sasuke would have called Naruto a dobe to annoy the blonde and, though he would never admit it, he would have enjoyed the insult. Three years ago, Sasuke wouldn't have been perusing strange texts with thick black covers that he didn't want Naruto to see. The boy drew in a breath through his nose, ignoring the tightness in his stomach. Three years ago was in the past and it was about time he came to terms with that.

Naruto pulled his finger from between the pages with a pout and pushed all thoughts of the past from his mind. The weight of the book had actually hurt, but he hid the pain with a smile, as his vision became speckled in a sudden rush of vertigo.

"I just wanted to say hi." The world pulsed, and Kyuubi began to stir, uncomfortable. "And, I thought maybe we could go shopping for Sakura's birthday present together."

Naruto stumbled and grabbed his head, drawing in a deep breath and trying to focus on Sasuke's face. The spots of white slowly faded and he was able to stare at his teammate's clueless, yet concerned face with a weak grin. Apparently, Sasuke had no idea that it was Sakura's birthday.

"You_ are_ coming to Ino's party tonight, right?" he confirmed with a meaningful look, not missing a beat. Sasuke raised an eyebrow, staring at Naruto suspiciously. The look gave away his thought process and Naruto tensed, praying that the brunette would decide Naruto's abnormal behaviour was just a result of his incurable clumsiness and would continue with the conversation.

Sasuke opened his mouth then closed it, his eyes narrowing in on Naruto, and shrugged. "I hadn't really thought about it," he lied smoothly and shoved his hands in his pockets, his shoulders slumping casually. The blonde let out a relieved sigh and relaxed.

It had always surprised him how someone with so much poise could contort his back into such an awkward position. Sasuke's shoulders hunched forward, making him look like a decrepit old man.

"Oi, why do you always slouch so much?" Naruto demanded, grabbing Sasuke's arm and leading him across the street to the store he had been on the verge of entering, when he had suddenly seen his antisocial comrade.

"I don't slouch," Sasuke replied in monotone with a disgruntled expression, though he did straighten his posture at the comment, even if the action was subconscious.

"Yeah, yeah." Naruto pulled Sasuke into the store and stopped, his eyes trailing over the shelves of items, one of which would be perfect for Sakura. The room had the light scent of pine and dim lighting that seemed to cast the room into an orange glow.

"What time did you say Ino's party was?" Sasuke asked casually, as he ran his fingers over a snow globe delicately. His eyes were locked on the item, which possessed a small family of four standing in front of a house, smiling. The blonde could only imagine the memories such an item would awake within his friend and felt a pang of sympathy. He stepped past Sasuke, allowing the other boy a moment to collect his thoughts.

"She wants us to be there at 7:00," Naruto eventually replied as he scanned the walls. Trying to focus on finding the perfect gift, and attempting to cheer up a melancholy Sasuke at the same time, were two objectives that seemed to take up all of the blonde's attention.

He caught sight of a yoyo and grinned. "What do you think of this?" he joked, pointing to the toy.

Sasuke grimaced and turned away. There was no sparkle in his eyes that hinted towards amusement, only disgust.

The lack of response was frustrating -so much so that Naruto's fists clenched tightly at his sides while his eyes fought to focus on the trinkets before him.

"Do you think we'll be going on another mission soon?" he asked as a way of making conversation, though he wasn't surprised when his question was met with silence. Sasuke, as Sakura had said, was a jerk, and that was indisputable. Withholding the urge to let out an aggravated sigh, Naruto continued scanning the wall for gifts.

"Oh!" He gasped, picking up the item that had caught his eye, and holding it before his face with an entranced expression. "Sasuke, this is perfect for Sakura, just look at it! It's beautiful, a work of art, a masterpiece, a…"

"Banana with legs?" Sasuke finished incredulously, coming over to stare at the item that had Naruto so transfixed. "I thought you would be able to manage the task of picking out gifts after doing it without me all these years. It seems that I've overestimated your competence, dobe."

It was a struggle to keep his jaw from dropping. It really was. Naruto stared at Sasuke, dumbstruck. The word that he had been longing to hear for six months, and Sasuke had finally said it. The urge to throw his arms around his dark-haired friend and hug him was overwhelming, but somehow Naruto managed to curb the desire.

Not wanting to make too big of a deal over Sasuke's sudden warmth, Naruto decided to play it cool.

"I think it's beautiful, bastard!" He growled and pulled the banana close to his chest. His fondness for the object, however fabricated, was worth the smirk on Sasuke's face and the glimmer of amusement in his eyes.

"I'm sure you also think a dog with no legs is beautiful."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You have no taste," Sasuke retorted dryly.

"Wait…" Naruto paused and glared at Sasuke as his mind caught up with the conversation. "A…a dog with no legs?" he sputtered in outrage, his body tense with the familiarity of the argument. Sasuke rolled his eyes, bracing himself against the imminent outburst. Both boys seemed to be acting out of memory rather than instinct or impulse; it was comforting.

Naruto drew in a deep breath, hiding his smirk. "Of course I'd love a dog with no legs! If I didn't who would?" he demanded, and noticed the way Sasuke suddenly closed off. His heart sank. Sasuke was supposed to mock him and call him names that only served to further infuriate Naruto, not tense up and become about as lively as a rock.

"Nobody, I suppose," Sasuke murmured and picked up a silver chain, his expression almost depressed. On the end of the chain was a small lighthouse that reflected the orange light of the store. It was pretty, yet somewhat disheartening.

For some strange reason, Naruto couldn't shake the feeling that he had just missed something very vital. Perhaps Sasuke had been speaking on a metaphorical level when he had made the comment about a dog with no legs.

"I bet it wouldn't make a difference if you had no legs, Sasuke," Naruto said in a desperate attempt at comforting his friend and coaxing him out of his sudden shell. "I mean, Ino and Sakura would probably just love you even more."

All right, so perhaps that had been the wrong thing to say. Sasuke's jaw clenched and ground together irritably.

"Probably," the brunette forced out, and took the chain in his hand to the clerk. The Uchiha fan on his back stared at Naruto as the owner of the shirt walked away. The image was unnervingly familiar. How many times had he watched Sasuke walk away? He couldn't remember. However, he could remember the one time Sasuke had never came back. He never wanted that to happen again.

It had definitely been the wrong thing to say.

Naruto followed Sasuke -after picking up the nearest item he saw for Sakura- with the banana still in hand as a reminder of how delicate his situation was -a reminder of how easily he could ruin everything with just one wrong word.

Naruto and Sasuke left the store a few minutes later, each with a bag.

The banana, shortly after, found itself on Naruto's nightstand next to a picture of himself, Sakura, Kakashi, and Sasuke years before power had corrupted the team, who's faces glowed with innocence, naiveté and, if one looked close enough, perhaps a trace of hope.

-----

It was late in the evening, more than a half hour past seven, when Naruto arrived at Ino's house. In his hands, he held a small parcel wrapped in pink paper, and a card with Sakura's name upon it in a messy scrawl. He was dressed in what some children referred to as their Sunday best, though it was hardly a Sunday. The outfit consisted of a pair of khaki pants with no tears and a blue top -Naruto had decided to forgo his usual orange in favour of something a little more ambiguous.

He had barely knocked on Ino's door, which had a cute wooden sign that read 'Home Sweet Home' upon it, when the entrance was thrown open by a beaming Sakura. Her eyes brightened when she realized who it was, and she pulled Naruto into a hug with an excited squeal. The boy allowed himself to be dragged around by the girl, led into the main room, and plopped down on a couch between Shikamaru and Shino.

Just as she was walking away, the pink-haired genin stopped, her eyes slitting and her nose twitching as if she were trying to identify a scent.

"Naruto," she began, with a small smile blooming upon her lips.

The boy in question shifted awkwardly. "Yes?" he asked, his eyes flickering about the crowded room nervously.

"Are you wearing…cologne?" Sakura's voice rose and a bright grin broke through her curiosity, bringing her face to life.

Everyone in the room went silent, their gazes singling in on Naruto, who was blushing furiously. He tried to think of something somber as a way of fighting the blush, but it was useless.

"Aw, Sakura," he mumbled, playing with the sleeve of his shirt awkwardly.

"You are!" The room broke out into laughter, and Naruto felt a smile force its way to his lips. He liked being the center of attention he informed himself as a stray pillow came flying towards him with a ninja's accuracy.

"Planning on getting laid tonight or something?" Kiba called from across the room. There was a chorus of laughter as everyone awaited the anticipated response.

Naruto bristled. "No!" he shouted back, crossing his arms and glaring sullenly at the faces around him. Even Shino was watching Naruto with amusement, or at least, that's what Naruto assumed from the slight shake in the boy's shoulders.

"Well, if Naruto's getting some tonight, we'd best help him along!"

Naruto looked up, the colour in his face draining in horror as Ino came sweeping into the room, one hand moving outward in a dramatic flourish to accentuate her entrance. In her other hand she held a glass bottle - a glass bottle that read sake.

"Oh, no way in hell," Naruto mumbled and put up his hands to stop Ino's advance upon him. This was brilliant. He winced and tried to hide his horror. They were going to attempt at getting him drunk.

"Why would I be getting laid tonight?" he called out in his anxiousness.

Ino plopped down on his lap, pushing his hands aside and laughed, her voice carrying over the rising voices of the crowd. "I had the same thought in mind when I heard you were getting laid, I mean, who in their right mind would want you, huh? But I suppose with enough alcohol, even you could be pretty," she cooed sarcastically, her hand coming to pat his head. Naruto tensed and tried to push Ino away, but the girl was firmly seated on his lap. Apparently, she hadn't matured as much as he had thought.

"Oi!" A scowl made its way onto Naruto's face, and he tore the sake bottle from Ino's grip.

"Looks like Naruto's getting started early, so he'll be passed out when it comes time to get it on with Ino," someone yelled from across the room, evoking another outburst of laughter. Naruto thought it sounded like Kiba again and, all things considered, it probably was. He smirked at Ino who looked as if she were ready to kill, quite enjoying the force of karma.

Whatever furious retort the girl had on her tongue died, however, as the sound of a door suddenly slamming - hard enough to rock the photos on the wall - echoed through the home.

The room went silent, aside from a few stray whispers, and all eyes turned to the entryway where Sai was standing with an abashed grin.

"Sorry we're late." He stepped out of his shoes and entered the home, winking at Naruto. Barely a second later, Sasuke also appeared. Naruto was unhappy to note that he appeared to be livid.

Dark obsidian eyes roved over the crowd of people assembled in Ino's living room, and finally landed on Naruto. The blonde stared back defiantly, though he felt a shudder run down his spine. Something had happened between Sai and Sasuke. Anyone with half a brain could see that. And Naruto, who knew the two ninja best, recognized that this_something_ had to do with him.

He cast a quick warning glare at Sai when Sasuke's eyes turned to Ino, who was still seated snugly on Naruto's lap. When Naruto's gaze returned to Sasuke, the boy's glare had deepened into an outright scowl that was very unfitting of him, seeing as everyone had come to accept him as apathetic.

Ino let out a light chuckle and stood. "Sasuke, I'm so happy you could come!"

A murmur of agreement ran through the room, and Naruto swallowed down as much sake as he could in one breath. Sasuke was coming towards them, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides in a silent fury. The blonde groaned; the evening was looking up already.

Without giving the alcohol time to settle, Naruto stood beside Ino and bellowed, "Hey, I don't hear any music!"

There was a chorus of tentative agreements, and moments later, the stereo system was blaring away the unease that had grasped the party as everyone stood, their bodies melting into a fluid, solitary moving mass.

As he made his way through the crowd toward Sai, Naruto watched Sasuke from the corner of his eye. The boy was moving towards the couch. Well, he was, until he caught the eye of someone behind Naruto, at which point he stopped cold and tensed.

Naruto glanced over his shoulder, catching a glimpse of the dark look Sai was giving Sasuke. The look seemed to be a warning, a look that Naruto was sure the former Roots member wouldn't be making, had he known Naruto was watching.

Just as the blonde had guessed, Sai remained that way, tense and authoritative, until he saw Naruto. Then his face smoothed into a predatory smile, and he stopped staring at Sasuke.

"Hey." He closed the distanced between them and placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder, effectively maneuvering the boy across the room - away from Sasuke who had suddenly been swallowed in the crunch of moving bodies. "How are you?"

Naruto shrugged and craned his neck in an attempt to relocate his comrade while replying, "I'm fine."

Sasuke was nowhere to be seen. The blonde released an irritated huff and turned back to Sai with a strained smile. "And you?"

"I'm excellent," Sai indulged, his eyes becoming suddenly intense as he pulled Naruto close. His hands found the indent of the other boy's hips rather quickly and he began to sway back and forth. "Dance with me!"

It was unnerving how as Sai said this, his eyes seemed to scan the crowd, preoccupied.

"Um…okay." Naruto awkwardly began to rock back and forth, positive that someone would crack a lame joke about he and Sai, or that Sasuke would see. A lump somehow found its way into the boy's throat and he felt his eyes frantically scanning the people around him. If Sasuke saw…

In front of him, Sai grinned, his gaze locked on a single point as he wrapped his arms around Naruto's waist, watching the person across the room. The smile on his face was cold and challenging.

For some strange unfathomable reason, Naruto just couldn't help but_know_ that the person Sai was staring at was Sasuke.

He cursed under his breath, and prayed that his intuition was off as he shifted uncomfortably within Sai's grip. But the boy held him tight, and Naruto realized that nothing in his life could ever be simple or easy.

It always had to be complicated, frustrating, and painful. And it always had to be a struggle to fix. He could never lie down at the end of the day and think of all the things he had because he knew that with one wrong move he would lose it, and that thought terrified him.

Perhaps, this constant feeling of pessimism was one of the results of growing up. If that were the case, Naruto wanted to stop growing up immediately. He couldn't take this constant sense of dread. He had been fine until Sasuke had left, and then his world had just sort of caved in on him, and left him for the dogs. It had abandoned him just as everyone else had.

He tried to ignore his growing fury, and focused on the boy he was dancing with.

"Sai, who are you looking at?" Naruto asked, unnerved by the way Sai's eyes strayed to his face, and suddenly became extremely impersonal. The brunette ninja smiled, and Naruto just wanted to scream the word fake, and let all his growing anger out in that one word. But he somehow managed to channel his anger into a shaky breath.

Sai seemed not to sense Naruto's frustration because he spoke casually. "Sasuke. He seems to be rather upset by our interactions." His brow creased thoughtfully. "Perhaps you should go talk with him?" And just as Sai said this, Shikamaru bumped into him, pushing him deep into the crowd and out of Naruto's reach.

"…Okay," the blonde mumbled to no one in particular, a frown on his features as his anger seemed to alleviate.

Sometimes Sai was just too weird.

-----

"Hey." Naruto drew in a steep breath and stared at his feet, unable to face Sasuke's betrayed gaze. Wrongly accused was the best word to describe how he was feeling. It could hardly be considered his fault that Sai had decided to ask him to dance.

The boy before him glared and said nothing.

Naruto chuckled. "This is a pretty good party, huh?"

"Sure."

There was an awkward moment of silence as he stared at Sasuke, his embarrassment ebbing away to frustration until eventually Naruto let out an aggravated huff of breath and grabbed Sasuke's hand, pulling him to the center of the crowd.

"Dance," he ordered and began lightly nodding his head to the music.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, but didn't resist. He instead swayed to the music, extremely awkwardly in Naruto's opinion. It was actually kind of endearing how offbeat his movements were.

"You have no sense of rhythm," Naruto informed his teammate with an amused smirk.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed and he let out a disbelieving sound, drawing close to Naruto as he hissed, "It's because I don't make a point of grinding up against anything that moves."

The blonde's eyes widened, and he felt his cheeks flush in outraged embarrassment. Judging by that comment, Sasuke thought he was a slut. He tried to regulate the quick breaths that were pulsing through his body, and glared at the brunette. One stupid dance with Sai, and Sasuke felt he had the right to insinuate that Naruto was a slut. Naruto stepped back -away from what had just been said- and into a sweat-soaked body that shoved him back towards the very person he was trying to escape.

Around them, everything kept on going and Naruto wished they would stop and disappear, because he _did not_ want this to be happening, and their presence just made this experience even more real.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He questioned, his eyes narrowing into two suspicious slits.

Sasuke shrugged and took a step closer so that he was so near Naruto it was painful. His hand was on the other boy's hip and his mouth was millimeters away from his ear.

"That should be obvious," he whispered, his breath light and warm. "Do you enjoy it when Sai does this to you?" His tongue flicked out and glanced over Naruto's earlobe. The heat stung his ear and he felt a throb of warmth rush through his body at the contact.

Without thinking, Naruto pushed Sasuke away with one hand, his other coming up to cup his ear, a furious expression on his face.

"W-what the hell, Sasuke?" he demanded, his voice catching in his throat as his comrade tumbled backwards, creating a gap in the group of people as they moved out of Sasuke's path. "What was that about, bastard?"

This_could not_ be happening.

The people nearest the duo stopped and watched them with hungry expressions as everyone else danced on. Their gazes were riveted with the two boys, unblinking and unmoving.

Naruto tried to pretend this wasn't happening and closed his eyes, blocking out everything but the fury and betrayal that seemed to be spreading through his body; numbing his senses until all he could feel were his thoughts.

Sasuke could not think he had _enjoyed _the attention from Sai, let alone endorsed it like some people with less morals would. They knew too much about each other to draw such untrue conclusions. Naruto would _never _give himself to someone he didn't love.

At the moment, that meant he wouldn't give himself to anyone because there was no one in his life that made his heart pound faster and held his gaze without noticing. There was no one in his life he would die to make happy. There couldn't be.

He would know if he were in love, and he would never betray his principles as Sasuke had just suggested.

Around him, the world seemed to spring back to life, and no matter how hard he tried, Naruto couldn't block out the sudden silence that engulfed the room, or the abrupt cessation in movement.

He let out a shuddering breath, and opened his eyes. Sasuke was watching him, his face a mix between apathy and anger as he appeared to make an attempt at deciphering the blonde's thoughts. Naruto ground his teeth, and let his eyes roam over the crowd.

They were watching him too. Everyone seemed to be watching him; it was suffocating and made him feel like some sort of caged animal. He just wanted to tell them to stop, to leave him be and let him deal with Sasuke his own way, by punching his face in. But this was Sakura's birthday party, and Naruto refused to ruin it, even if Sasuke didn't hold the same reservations.

His eyes wandered back to Sasuke and the two boys stared at each other, challenging the other to say something. The tension between them was tangible. From the corner of his eye, Naruto caught a stir of movement just before he heard a too bright voice.

"Who wants to play spin the bottle?" As if by magic, Ino was between Sasuke and Naruto, dispelling the fight by holding up a large bottle in her hand. She waggled her eyebrows suggestively at Naruto, begging him to save her party and drop his petty argument with Sasuke. He knew she thought it was petty; it was evident in the way she looked at him.

"I'd love to," Naruto murmured, still glaring at Sasuke. "Why would I give up a chance to whore myself around?" There was an unspoken 'right Sasuke?' at the end of his statement that only the other boy seemed to catch. The glower on his face darkened and he tensed.

Between them, Ino shifted uncomfortably. "That's wonderful Naruto," she remarked in a shrill voice.

"I suppose I'll play as well." Sasuke said in monotone, his gaze had become bored the minute all the attention in the room was upon him and Naruto. To the unaware observer, it looked as if Sasuke had done nothing, and Naruto had simply lashed out irrationally.

"Don't strain yourself," Naruto mumbled, and turned to make his way to the kitchen, fuming.

All those interested in playing made their way behind Naruto, not bothering to suggest a better location because Naruto was exuding 'don't talk to me' vibes that no one was willing to cut through.

He sat down in the nearest chair and stared at the table as everyone settled in around him. The warmth of a body beside him alerted the blonde that someone had seated themselves in the adjacent spot but he didn't glance up.

If Sasuke was playing, he didn't want to risk looking up to see the face of the other boy.

The little progress he thought they had made that afternoon was apparently not worth very much; Sasuke had proved that moments earlier. Naruto clenched his fists at his sides and drew in a deep breath. He would _not_ think about this now. He would smile, play, and pretend he and Sasuke had just gotten into another petty dispute as everyone assumed.

There was a distinct sound as the bottle was placed upon the table.

"Okay, assuming everyone knows the rules, let's start!" Ino suggested from across the table. Naruto lifted his head, a forced smile on his face, and looked at those around him.

Shikamaru was seated beside Ino, though it looked as if the girl had conned him into participating. Chouji, Sakura, Sai, Hinata, Lee, Kiba and Sakura were also there.

Naruto glanced beside him and tensed.

"Better get ready to pucker up," he taunted with a smile that looked so real, he almost believed it was.

Sasuke smirked in response and snorted condescendingly, returning his attention to Ino, who was spinning the bottle and muttered, "Finally decided to throw yourself at me?"

Naruto punched him under the table and watched the bottle spin in a haze of glass and wood.

When it stopped on Shikamaru, there was a round of 'oohs' and 'awws'. The blonde female blushed slightly, and turned to look at the person she was to kiss. He stared back with a dry expression.

"Well, are you going to kiss me or what?" Ino demanded, her eyebrows rising expectantly.

"You were the one who spun the bottle. You can kiss me." Naruto smirked at Shikamaru's predictable response, and watched the coy twinkle that slowly bled into Ino's eyes.

"Fine!" She smirked and her arms were around her teammate's neck while her lips were latched onto his firmly barely a second later. She pulled away after a moment, a huge grin on her face.

"Lee, you can spin next," Ino said, a pleased and self-satisfied grin on her face. Shikamaru stared at her, dazed, and slowly allowed a smile to pass over his lips as Lee took the bottle.

When it landed on Hinata there was a shared murmur of amusement around the table by all but Naruto and Sasuke, who were preoccupied with kicking each other surreptitiously under the table while trying to maintain neutral facial expressions; Naruto with an amused grin and Sasuke with a blank face.

Their relationship had always been complicated, but lately that word just didn't seem to encompass the spectrum they related upon. One moment they were tearing away at each other's every insecurity, and the next they were playing a more violent, juvenile form of footsy under the table.

Chouji took a try at spinning the bottle and ended up locking lips with Sakura. Naruto found this quite amusing and couldn't contain his laugh. However, the outburst ended in a cry of pain as Sasuke delivered a particularly vicious attack to his ankle. He turned to glare at the dark-haired boy, unsure of why he'd suddenly gotten so aggressive.

Then he realized that Sai had been chosen as the next person to spin the bottle…and he had.

Naruto looked at the bottle and felt the blood drain from his face.

He could barely absorb the cruel irony of what was happening as he took in the narrow end of the bottle, which was aimed directly at him. Everything he gained he lost eventually, apparently. Naruto sourly cursed his life and tried to smile, though this time not even he could hide the distress from his face.

Sakura hid a horrendously amused laugh behind her hand, while Ino went into an outright burst of giggles. Their reactions only proved to irritate of the blonde further. In all actuality, Naruto didn't find the situation humorous at all. In fact, he found it to be disgustingly unjust. Particularly the way Sasuke was glaring daggers at Naruto then Sai, who was making his way around the table.

When he reached the blonde, Sai sat on his lap and planted a firm, moist kiss upon his lips. He used no tongue and the kiss was by far the shortest of that evening, but it was still enough to make Sasuke rise from the table and leave the room with a loud clattering of wood on linoleum.

It was still enough to break whatever progress he had made, and to make Sasuke think that Naruto enjoyed Sai's sudden interest in him. The next person spun but Naruto ignored it, his eyes focusing beyond the game and out the window. It was raining.

He cursed under his breath, and turned to look at the open doorway that led outdoors. A figure was walking away in stony silence, heading out of the shelter of the home and into the rain.

-----

Cornering Sai proved to be difficult, because the other boy had adopted the characteristics of a social butterfly almost immediately after Sasuke's departure. He always seemed to be speaking with someone in a chipper tone, no matter when Naruto tried to catch him. Annoying was the weakest word that could describe the boy's frustration with his brunette friend.

It was after a fair amount of time that Naruto finally decided to simply ask Sai if he could speak with him alone. When he did, the other boy smiled and excused himself from Shino's presence. The blonde didn't really think Shino noticed his companion's departure; he was too busy staring at the television across the room.

"This is a great party," Sai commented as he followed Naruto to the stairwell that led upstairs. They stopped there, and sat on the first flight of steps.

"Yeah, it's been awesome," Naruto replied insincerely. Honestly, this night could be charted as one of his worst. It was emotionally draining, and he found that he couldn't curb the paranoia that everyone was watching him and waiting for him to slip, to prove that he wasn't happy and that something was wrong with him, not only emotionally but physically as well.

This was _just _what he needed in his life right now; one more problem to add to his ever-growing list of dilemmas, which was headlined by Kyuubi's sudden outbursts.

Sai turned to Naruto expectantly. "So what did you want to ask me?" His face instantly became concerned, the same face Naruto had spoken to the day before, and he felt a growing hope that perhaps his concerns would be well received. The question he wanted to ask had sounded so right earlier in his mind. Naruto sighed, unsure of what to say and drew a pattern in the carpet between him and Sai. Perhaps Sai would stop being such an ass, and listen.

"I know you said something to Sasuke before you came here," he started, "What happened?" He looked up at Sai, hoping - no praying - that he wouldn't be rebuffed, only to see the same disarming smile that had fooled both him and Sakura so many times before. He felt his stomach clench, and he waited for the other boy to speak, to say something that would put his worries at ease.

"Oh, it's nothing to worry about, really," Sai assured him, "There was this bush, and it had leaves, and I tripped over a frog. It's actually kind of embarrassing." He blushed appropriately and stood. Naruto couldn't help but feel stung at the obvious dismissal. Why did Sai have to be so difficult? The boy stopped, standing beside Naruto and cleared his throat.

"Did you want anything else?" he asked, looking over his shoulder towards the party, notably distracted. It was clear he was trying to tell Naruto the conversation was over, without being rude.

"Um…no, thanks," Naruto said, watching as Sai took a step towards him. He let his eyes drop and fiddled with his fingers, trying not to think at all. He hated his thoughts.

"Naruto." Sai surveyed the blonde seriously, "Sasuke doesn't know what he has and I regret his ignorance for your sake. But I'm not going to stand on the sidelines and wait for him to suddenly have an epiphany, neither should you."

Then he was gone, and Naruto found himself watching as another person left him behind.

-----

After being left alone, Naruto had spent a good ten minutes sitting in the stairwell, watching as the world around him pulsed with energy and life. Bodies, slick with sweat, moved throughout the home, grinding together, taking each other into tight hugs, and bumping against one another.

Sitting and observing the world from an outsider's point of view brought with it not only an intense feeling of isolation, but also an understanding of those around that could not be perceived when one was at the center the action. Naruto began to realize the ways people interacted, and what these interactions meant.

For example, he kept noticing the way Ino's hand moved forward to brush Shikamaru's and stayed there a second longer than was necessary, and the way Shikamaru didn't back away from this invitation but rather stepped towards it, touching her hand back a moment later.

The growing chemistry between them was something Naruto had never before noticed, and he was surprised that he had had the insight to catch on in less than ten minutes. To the more observant people of their little community, the budding romance must have been obvious, but he had been oblivious up until this point.

His eyes were drawn from the potential couple when a girl in a form-fitting red dress extracted herself from the crowd, waving to him with a small smile. He grinned back at the pink-haired girl, and moved over so she could sit next to him.

Sakura spotted the offered spot and grinned. "Hey," she greeted and her body collapsed on the stairwell next to the blonde's as she let out a contented sigh.

"Having fun?" Naruto asked, leaning against the wall so his body angled towards Sakura, who was sprawled against the banister.

"Of course I am," she said, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "I noticed that you've been quiet, especially since Sasuke left…" She trailed away, her expression sobering.

The song changed and an upbeat one blared through the house; Naruto recognized it as Sakura's favorite. He expected her to leave, to go dance with someone - to enjoy herself - but the pink-haired female did no such thing. She opted to instead place a hand on Naruto's knee, and smile at him reassuringly.

"He's always been a drama queen, huh?"

Naruto let out a controlled laugh. "He's just being Sasuke."

"Yeah, he sure is," Sakura admitted, and moved her hand to Naruto's shoulder. "He'll come around eventually though." Her voice was soft and Naruto thought that's exactly how his mother would have sounded, had she been alive.

Then Sakura pulled him into a hug and he felt the waves of maternal love roll over him with a contented sigh. This is what he had never had, and really would _never_ have.

He hugged her back, burying his nose in her neck and taking a deep breath, relishing the moment of absolute safety he was experiencing.

When they eventually pulled apart, Sakura's face was pinched with worry, which she ineffectively hid behind a smile.

"Happy birthday," Naruto said and stood, taking Sakura's hand. "I hope you had a good one."

She stood with him, her eyes widening. "Let me walk you to the door?" she asked and pulled him to the entrance hall.

"I guess I don't have much of a choice," Naruto muttered and followed, snickering with Sakura, who was fast approaching the exit.

"Don't let anyone mug you on your way home, okay?" She hugged him again, and let him go.

Naruto laughed. "Only an idiot would mess with Uzumaki Naruto!" he exclaimed, and left the home, walking down the front steps and to the road.

The sky was black and a soft mist was falling from the sky, not hard enough to be a threat, but still present enough to weigh down his soft blonde hair. He sighed and let his feet take him home one step at a time.

It wasn't until he reached his residence, and the resulting light on his porch that Naruto realized the world had adopted its sudden red tint. He squinted, staring at the rose tainted colour of his door and felt Kyuubi stir within him.

The light flickered, and Naruto prepared himself for the imminent collapse that always seemed to follow these signs. When nothing happened, he relaxed and entered his home, calling out a greeting to the empty room and prepared for bed.

-----

"Tea?" Sakura held out a brightly designed ceramic teapot, and motioned towards the empty cup in front of Naruto.

The boy nodded, his voice coming out in a distracted murmur, "Yeah, that would be great."

When Naruto had shown up at Sakura's door earlier that morning with no explanation, the pink-haired ninja had been taken completely off-guard. She had received no notice from her teammate informing her of his intentions to visit. In fact, the last time she had seen him had been three days ago at her party.

When she saw him standing there, nervously twiddling his thumbs and smiling apprehensively, her face became a window to her thoughts. Naruto instantly read her surprise and simultaneous concern quite easily. It was evident in the crease between her brow, and the way she placed her hand on his shoulder, leading him to the kitchen. As she walked, she babbled on about tea, with which she was now filling his cup.

"So, how are you doing?" she asked with the same type of smile Naruto had always assumed a psychologist would have. It was unnerving the way she leaned forward, her delicate fingers wrapping around the pink cup in her hand with a small cloud of steam hovering above it.

Her light, steady breaths displaced the mist occasionally, and the constant curtain of white that kept shifting and swaying was nearly hypnotic. When he adjusted his eyes just so, Naruto found he could make the cloud split in two…

The fingers around the cup uncurled themselves from the presumably warm ceramic structure and tapped the table as Sakura quickly said, "Naruto?" Her voice was concerned - worried.

"Hm?" He tore his gaze from the cloud, his eyes refocusing. "Oh, sorry. Um…" Naruto paused, stumbling for some way to put words to his thoughts. He had no idea how to tell Sakura what was bothering him. She knew about Kyuubi, but whether or not the subject was open for conversation, the blonde had no idea.

"Actually, Sakura, I'm not really doing all that great right now," he said in a torrent of unstable words to which he had no idea what the reaction would be.

Sakura's eyes widened and Naruto felt like an oxymoron. His mind was anxiously relaxed and his stomach was carelessly tight. He had finally let out the worst of it, but in doing so, he had stepped off the cliff and was fast approaching the pool. He had no idea how dark, or deep, or cold the water was, and he had no clue how far he might fall. He was walking with wide, blind eyes into an unfamiliar situation.

Sakura still hadn't said anything. Naruto felt sick, and suddenly he thought that perhaps he should have tested the waters with a toe, rather than plunging himself in. Maybe he could grasp at something and still stop the fall; say 'just kidding' and laugh with Sakura at the absurdity of him not doing all that great. Naruto, not happy? What a joke.

What a joke indeed.

"What's wrong?" Sakura finally prompted, the soft weight of her hand settling upon his. He hadn't even known his hand was sitting on the table, but the gentle feel of her skin felt comforting, like the petals of a rose, silky and accompanied by this giant feeling of validation because no one buys roses for themselves, which meant they had been a gift. And no one buys roses for just anyone.

"Everything?" Naruto said awkwardly, phrasing the statement as a question. He squinted one eye, protecting his expression - keeping it from revealing too much. When she didn't respond, Naruto realized that Sakura was waiting for him to continue, afraid that anything she said would deter him from speaking.

He sighed and focused on the feel of her hand, letting his mouth move without thought or control. "I think there's something wrong with…" A small hesitation found its way into his will; the water was fast approaching his bare feet. "Kyuubi."

There, he had said it. Naruto did not look at Sakura. His sight was instead drawn inward, assessing the possible damage he had just done to the only relationship he had that had not been battered and defeated by time.

The soft blue curtains hanging over the open window rustled and still Sakura said nothing. The breeze did not make it far into the house, for Naruto felt nothing but hot stillness settling upon his cheeks, daring him to face the wreckage of his only true friendship.

He tried to raise his eyes, to face her and earn at least her respect if nothing else, but he couldn't. He was just like Sasuke.

He was too weak.

He wanted to stand and leave, to say 'I should go' and do just that, but his legs refused to move, and deep in the bottom of his heart, a part of him was praying that if he sat there long enough, Sakura would speak - put all his worries at ease - and methodically work through what was wrong.

But that was foolish. No one could accept the fox because it had destroyed far too much of Konoha's history - its legacy. And to everyone but a select few, Naruto was the fox. Whether or not Sakura was a member of this select few had yet to be seen.

The girl coughed, and her hand, which had been slack against Naruto's, tightened. "I-is it hurting you?" she asked, stroking the back of his hand absently.

Everything went warm as he finally hit the water.

"Yeah," he whispered and slowly brought his eyes to hers. They weren't veiled as he had expected, but instead they were open and curious, scared perhaps, but also caring and worried.

Naruto swallowed and licked lips anxiously. "He gets really high strung a lot. It just happened one day…" The blonde stopped, trying to remember when it had all started. "When we got back from the mission with Saki-san, I think. I usually feel really sick and dizzy." It was hard, gauging the fine line between too much information, and not enough.

"For the first few days I passed out. Now I just feel a sickening tugging at my belly and everything sort of gets…" His hands motioned ambiguously at the space around him. "I don't know, the world just looks red; like I'm staring at it through tinted glass or something."

Sakura's naturally pallid complexion was paler than usual, and Naruto fought down panic as he worried that he had said too much.

"Do you think it's the seal?" she inquired in a tentative voice. Her green eyes were glazed over in a sort of frightened contemplation.

Naruto immediately responded, "No." He was sure that it wasn't the seal. "It's an outside force. There's usually just something, like…I don't know how to describe it. It's like a…a flicker of a shadow…or something before it happens."

The descriptions he was giving were very lame. They had sounded fine in his head, but as he said them aloud, Naruto found himself trying to rephrase them in a way that made what he was saying more notable and less pathetic. This resulted in him using words like 'something' to paint the image he was trying to portray.

Sakura was silent as she digested his descriptions and symptoms; the medic-nin in her was trying to find a cure for whatever illness was plaguing her friend. Her hand slowly disengaged itself from Naruto's, letting the cool air wash over his warm skin, and she took a sip of her tea, a thoughtful frown on her face.

"I think you should talk to Tsunade-sama or Jiraiya-sama," the girl finally said, placing her cup back on the table with a small clink.

Naruto straightened, his body becoming rigid against his will. "No." His mind was informing him that he had known this was a bad idea, but he had impulsively decided to act upon it, against his own misgivings.

"Naruto, this could be serious," Sakura pleaded, her eyes trailing to Naruto's cup. "You need to relax and think this over rationally." She paused, her mouth still open, grasping for something to say. "You haven't touched your tea, yet." she finally commented in a strangled tone.

The statement didn't ease Naruto's worry, or lure him into thinking she was letting the subject drop. He was familiar with this tactic of hers. She would distract him from the matter at hand for a brief moment only to fire off questions rapidly and spontaneously, taking her dazed teammate off guard. The boy tensed himself against the impending rush of words and decided to have the first word.

"I'm not telling them, Sakura," he told her, his voice firm and unyielding, much like the resolve in his eyes.

She sighed. "Naruto, if you've been passing out and seeing red then something must be wrong," the girl insisted irritably. The concern she felt was fast becoming anger at his stubborn rashness. It was obvious in the thin line of her mouth.

"They'll get _too_ worried, or something stupid like that!" Naruto countered, his voice rising with panic. All he needed was for Tsunade to find out and stop giving Team 7 missions, making Sasuke suspicious in the process.

He wasn't scared about Tsunade finding out, she wouldn't judge him or think of him as weak. She wouldn't draw the conclusion that Naruto's power wasn't his own.

But Sasuke... Sasuke would.

"Please…" Naruto pleaded. His jaw was tense, the muscles straining against the lock he had them in.

"I can't, Naruto." Sakura stood, leaning across the table to take Naruto's teacup as well as her own, and headed to the counter where she carefully set the two ceramic dishes in the sink. Her back was stiff and the muscles in her arms were taut.

"But…"

"If anything happened to you, I would never forgive myself," Sakura said. Her back was still to him, but the tone of her voice told Naruto what she hadn't said. She would rather he hate her than she hate herself.

It was useless arguing with her, Naruto realized with a resigned feeling of dread. He sighed and stood, trying to come to terms with the inevitable before it occurred - tried to prepare himself. Sasuke would have found out anyway.

"Well then, I guess I better go," he told her, though he supposed she already knew that the visit was over. "Thanks for listening," he murmured and left the house, trying to ignore the sound of her crying.

-----

Waking was a tiresome process, as ironic as that seemed. It required facing the world, and all its accompanying problems, which was why Naruto hated it. He always needed a moment to find his way back into his own skin, and to leave the person he had become so used to being in his dreams. He had to leave behind the smiles and comforts of people he had never known, and probably never would know.

Dreams were fictional, of course.

Of course.

On this particular morning, it was to the sound of concise knocking that Naruto awoke. The sharp rapping echoed through his tiny home, weaving its way into his dream and slowly knocking his mind from the comfortable shelf of his subconscious, to the dreaded reality of his conscious.

His eyes slowly pulled open like jammed curtains that needed considerable fiddling to work, and took in the red-hazed world before him.

"Not again…" He groaned and rolled over, throwing his pillow over his head, trying to block the world out.

Somehow, the knocking made it through his pillow and continued to assault his ears, like the steady thrum of a drum sounding off the beginning of a war. He had no idea how accurate his comparison was.

"Fine…I'm up," he managed to grumble, and peeled himself from the bed with a sour expression on his face. The pounding continued.

He shouted, "Didn't you hear me? I said I'm coming!" Still in his pajamas, Naruto made his way to the front door, his irritation evident in the stomping of his feet and the scowl on his face.

He threw the door open, growling and saying a short, "Hello" as he came face to face with Tsunade and Jiraiya.

"Where the hell is he?" Tsunade droned with an aggravated huff of breath through the closed line of her lips. She stared straight past Naruto and into the kitchen. Her glare was livid but the worry lines on her face were even more disconcerting.

She turned to Jiraiya, her mouth moving soundlessly, but the man ignored her and stared at Naruto's door, his eyes narrowing.

"Since when did Naruto have an automatic door?" he said suspiciously. Naruto raised an eyebrow and stared at the two. When had they been able to talk without moving their mouths?

At the moment, Tsunade appeared to be speaking, though the atmosphere remained eerily silent. From the look on Jiraiya's face, he was able to hear every word the Hokage was saying. Naruto swallowed uncomfortably and watched as the two Sannin tensed and became suddenly motionless, glaring at the doorway as if it were empty.

Then Tsunade's mouth opened but no sound came out, and Naruto felt a sinking feeling of dread race through his mind as he translated the soundless words escaping her lips.

'Naruto, get the hell out here.'

* * *

AN: Okay, so things are finally starting to move! I'm really sorry about the wait (and the cliffie except not really). This should be my new updating schedule: about every 1 1/2- 2 weeks depending on many shows and rehearsals I have. I will warn you that next week I'm gone on tour so Chapter 4 will be late. Thank you again for commenting/reviewing, I really appreciate it especially because people have been leaving me long comments with specifics so that I know what is working effectively and what can be improved upon.  
-TJ 


	4. Chapter IV

_Posted: August 2, 2006_

**Disclaimer**: Do not own.

**Warnings**: Shounen ai, spoilers for anyone not keeping up with the manga, & AUish. Anything involving Akatsuki and bijuus after the timeskip is completely irrelevant to this story, and as such, never happened. Actually, this applies to everything after the timeskip except the part where Naruto, Sakura, and Sai meet up with Sasuke.

**General**: Takes place after chapter 308 for those of you that_are_ keeping up with the manga.

**Thank yous**: peachie-x and Nox (betas) as well as everyone who has reviewed SF. Much love!

**Summary**: _The invisibility started with one silly wish upon a star. Good thing Sasuke's doormat personality, Sai's attempts at matchmaking, and a mission gone wrong were all quite normal in the life of Naruto Uzumaki... Wait. What? SasuNaru_

* * *

**Previously**: 

"_Then Tsunade's mouth opened but no sound came out and Naruto felt a sinking feeling of dread race through his mind as he translated the soundless words escaping her lips._

'_Naruto, get the hell out here.' "_

* * *

**Surface Flaws**

Chapter IV

"_I'm only happy when it rains  
You wanna hear about my new obsession?  
I'm riding high upon a deep depression  
I'm only happy when it rains  
Pour some misery down on me"_

_-I'm Only Happy When it Rains (Garbage)_

'Naruto, get the hell out here.'

The blonde teen swallowed hard, trying to keep his mind from becoming completely engulfed in panic, and took a step forward, toward the woman who seemed to be staring straight past him. Her face was tinted a soft red as she glared accusingly at the empty space that seemed to be directly behind his head.

"I'm right here, hag," he told her in an alarmed tone.

'Damnit, why does he always have to play these stupid little games?' Tsunade took a step forward, nearly crushing Naruto, and peered into the home. Her sandals slapped against the heels of her feet as she walked, the sound echoing through the empty house while she spun around, presumably to say something to Jiraiya. As for what she was saying, Naruto had no idea. He could only hear a cluttered mess of disjointed words ringing through the home, all of which had an almost…tinny quality to them.

They seemed to have the consistency of thoughts, connected by barely a thread of correlation. One fragment led to another, the odd word triggering a new onslaught of phrases that made as little sense as their predecessors.

Naruto's teeth tugged at his bottom lip and he tried to pretend that there was no way he could be hearing Tsunade and Jiraiya's thoughts because that would make whatever it was that was happening real.

Then, without warning, the busty woman walked into the house, crushing Naruto's toe in the process, and proceeded to make her way to the kitchen. The boy let out a pained yelp and jumped backwards, bending over to clutch his throbbing toe.

"That hurt you fat old hag," he growled.

Tsunade didn't seem to acknowledge what she had done, Naruto realized a moment later. She couldn't have because she stood in the center of his kitchen with her hands placed firmly on her hips and a severe frown on her face. There wasn't a hint of recognition visible on her features.

Oh shit…

"Tsunade?" he said, moving forward hesitantly as he finally began to comprehend what was going on.

This could not be happening.

He stared at her red-tinted face, trying to pretend this wasn't happening. There was no way his life could decide to throw this at him too, not with everything else that was going on. In all honesty, Naruto doubted his sanity could handle another crisis of this magnitude.

Jiraiya shrugged, saying something to Tsunade and made his way past Naruto and down the hall as if he couldn't see Naruto. There was only one reason both the Hokage and the hermit would look directly past him and act completely oblivious to his presence.

They couldn't see him…or hear him for that matter.

And he couldn't hear them when they spoke. There was no way he logically could; nothing he heard ever matched the movements of their mouths.

But that didn't explain why he kept hearing the fragments of sentences that almost resembled thoughts. Naruto blinked and suddenly everything clicked into place and he tried very hard to stay calm, but he couldn't because this _was not _good and it could not be true.

But it was.

When his mind finally stopped its rampant denial and analyzed the truth objectively, there was no way Naruto could discredit his theory. Nor could he stop the way his heart suddenly decided to race, or the way his palms began to sweat, or the way his eyes couldn't help but flit around his house, betrayed; or the way--

He was the polar opposite of calm. He was panicking.

Naruto stared at his home, trying to imagine how it must look without him and wiped his damp palms on his pant leg. He needed to try to get Tsunade and Jiraiya's attention; he just didn't know how.

A deep breath found its way through his lips, filling his lungs and slowing the panic attack he could feel brewing beneath his skin. He would make this better, but in order to do that he needed to be in the same room as Tsunade and Jiraiya.

Taking one step at a time, Naruto started for the hall. His legs shook and his eyes darted about the enclosed space rapidly, trying to watch everything at once.

"I am not going crazy," he whispered and lifted his shirt to wipe the sweat from his face. "I am not going crazy."

When he reached the doorway, Naruto grabbed it with a trembling, clammy hand and allowed his body to collapse against it. The frame provided a nice sturdy support. The boy let his head fall against the wood structure and stared into the room, feeling like he was wearing red-tinted spectacles.

The two Sannin were standing in his bedroom, words racing through unmoving lips as they took in the empty room, and he finally had to admit to himself that he was unable to hear their words. Instead, he could hear their thoughts.

They were so loud and intrusive; never-ending ramblings of words that meant nothing to Naruto because they were tumbling into the air so quickly the boy was hardly able to keep up with them.

He let his gaze drop to the floor and tried to even out his breathing. If he was going to find a way out of this, he was going to have to be in a stable frame of mind. That meant not having the startings of a panic attack.

"I am not going crazy."

His eyes wandered to his toe and he flinched; it was becoming purple. The knuckle appeared to be bruised though the rest of his toe seemed fine. The throbbing was still present. He wiggled the appendage delicately; if Tsunade had been able to see him, she would never have stepped on his foot.

…

Naruto stopped wiggling his toe and glanced up at the Sannin, his eyes wide.

But she _did_ step on his toe.

…

That had to mean something right?

The boy grinned through his fear and tentatively walked forward, his mind traveling through a million concepts as he gently tapped Tsunade's shoulder.

"Please work…" he murmured and waited.

The old woman tensed almost immediately and Naruto felt as if some giant bubble inside him had popped. He gasped for breath and stared at her in wonderment.

She could feel his touch.

He grasped her pigtail and pulled on it lightly.

He was still real.

Naruto swallowed hard and tried to think of what to do next, now that he knew he was merely invisible and not… The boy frowned, not enjoying where his mind was taking him, and decided to turn his attention to Tsunade's thoughts as a distraction. They had abruptly become suspicious the moment Naruto had touched her and she was now muttering to Jiraiya through the corner of her mouth.

The old man, Naruto suddenly noticed, was also staring in his general direction, a guarded frown on his face. Jiraiya's thoughts became slightly fuzzy and a shadow behind him flickered.

Naruto jumped, surprised by the sudden movement, and tried to follow it with his eyes. But it was too late, the shadow was gone and a familiar pulling feeling was grabbing at his navel, drawing him inside out.

Naruto's second experience with being awake while leaving the red world was just as unpleasant as the first. He felt as if he were collapsing in on himself and being ripped in half at the same time; it was horrible. His jaw clenched as he refused to scream, and he wrapped his hands firmly around his burning middle.

When the feeling passed and Naruto was finally able to focus his eyes, he saw both Tsunade and Jiraiya staring at him, completely dumbfounded and mistrustful simultaneously.

"Naruto?" Tsunade asked as if she were unable to believe whatever it was she had just witnessed.

"Hi." he muttered and collapsed to the ground, seeing nothing but black.

-----

When Naruto woke up, he had no idea how long he had been unconscious. That was the only thing he had no idea about, everything else was burnt into his mind and pressing at the forefront of his thoughts. He swallowed around the terrified lump in his throat and reminded himself that he was not crazy.

Then, Naruto slowly opened his eyes and saw Tsunade bent over him with a closed off expression on her face.

"He's awake," she said, moving back so he could rise into a sitting position.

Naruto watched as both Tsunade and Jiraiya exchanged a glance of confirmation.

"Naruto." Jiraiya stared hard at him, his eyes seeming to dig into Naruto's mind and pick through his thoughts. The boy said nothing and turned his gaze to Tsunade.

"What just happened?" she asked, adjusting her position on the bed so she was facing him rather than Jiraiya.

Naruto shrugged.

The woman let out an aggravated exhale of breath. "Does it have anything to do with Kyuubi?" she ventured.

Naruto flinched, a sour frown crossing his face. Of course, they were here about Kyuubi, Sakura had told them as he had assumed she would. Still, that knowledge didn't seem to make things any less complicated.

He let his gaze move to his feet with a shrug, and murmured, "I don't know."

"Sakura said you told her Kyuubi's been acting strange," Jiraiya commented from where he was standing in front of the open window. He was watching the world outside, a contemplative frown on his face. The soft wind that was blowing through the pane rustled his hair and pulled at his clothing serenely.

"Yeah, so?" Naruto bit out in aggravation.

"Tell us about it." Jiraiya suggested, his hands finding their way into his pockets.

Naruto glared at his feet and crossed his arms over his chest in a childish gesture. "What am I supposed to tell you?" he demanded in a weary voice. "I woke up this morning and no one could see me. Everything was tinted red and Kyuubi was uneasy. Nothing was different from how it has been."

There was silence and Naruto swallowed hard, trying to admit to what had just happened. "Well it was almost the same, except … no one could see me." He frowned, his expression lightening from irritation to fear, and drew his knees to his chest, allowing his head to drop to the sturdy support he had just created.

Tsunade stared at the boy, her eyes narrowed in thought as she chewed on her lip. "Lift up your shirt and lie down," she commanded, placing a hand on the boy's chest and pushing him into a lying position.

He didn't resist, but rather followed the direction in which he was being pushed and pulled his up shirt to reveal his stomach, which showed no hints of the seal.

Kyuubi stirred as Tsunade's hand softly palmed his stomach, applying a soft amount of chakra that brought the glowing characters of the seal to the surface of Naruto's skin, flawing the soft milky complexion.

Her chakra roved through his body, weaving its way around. If Naruto were to put an image to the sensation, he would have described it as a rat in a maze, tentatively brushing against the walls before backing away and trying a different route. The only difference was that this maze didn't have an ending.

After about ten minutes of doing this, Tsunade finally removed her hand from Naruto's skin, pulling his shirt back down with a frown.

"I couldn't find anything abnormal," she told him, glancing over her shoulder to share a look with Jiraiya. "Can you describe for me what you've been feeling?"

Naruto shrugged. "I already told you most of it. I usually just feel dizzy and sick and then everything goes red and I pass out. Well, there was one night where I managed to make it to bed without passing out." He didn't feel the pride he would have normally felt, and this only served to further trouble the blonde.

Tsunade and Jiraiya did not appear impressed either. "Is there anything else?" the woman insisted. Naruto could see in the reflection of the window that Jiraiya was no longer watching the world below; his focus was inward on his thoughts.

"No, not really." Naruto tried to think of other details that he had missed, but none came to mind. He stayed sprawled on his bed, closing his eyes, and indulging in the sensation of the tangled blankets caressing his skin - holding him loosely.

"Well, until we find out what's going on with you, I'm going to have to put Team 7 on a break," Tsunade said carefully.

Naruto's eyes snapped open and he saw a million horrible images in his mind at once, all of which led back to Sasuke.

If Sasuke found out that they were no longer receiving missions, he would get suspicious and that meant he would begin watching Naruto closely - too closely. He would watch Naruto with such fervor that eventually he would realize what was going on.

Naruto would not allow that to happen. "You can't," he cried out, staring at Tsunade with horrified blue eyes. "I mean, you don't know what's wrong so maybe there isn't anything wrong! If there isn't than this would be stupid. Besides, I can do missions, it's not like I'm an invalid and have no--"

"That's not the point Naruto," Tsunade interjected, squeezing the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger, slowly massaging. "If I sent you on missions you could become a liability, and I'm sure you would not appreciate that. I am not sending Team 7 on any missions until I determine what is wrong with you."

Naruto shook his head and glared at Tsunade. "But I'm _fine_. Besides, what will I do all day without any missions? The only thing I can think of doing to pass time is bug you and everyone else."

The dry look he received had been expected. "No."

The firm tone of Tsunade's voice did not deter Naruto; he instead decided to fight with even more fervor. He could only imagine how weak Sasuke would believe him to be if he found out what was happening.

"This is stupid and you know it, hag." Naruto slammed his fist on the bed and glared at the woman, his chin jutting out stubbornly.

"Naruto, I _am not_ going to waver on this decision. Do you understand me?" She stood from the bed, her stance stiff and furious.

"Yeah, well, neither am I!" he yelled back, pushing himself off the bed as well. "Let me do missions." Rather than asking, he opted to make demands.

"Fine," Tsunade snapped so quickly she almost cut Naruto off. "You are assigned to guard duty tonight at 10:00 pm sharp with Uchiha Sasuke and if you make just _one_ complaint I will you put on house arrest under Kakashi's watch. Do you understand you cheeky little shit?" The woman sounded as if she were prepared to up her threat to murder should the situation escalate. It was because of this that Naruto decided to nod with a sulky expression and allow Tsunade and Jiraiya to leave shortly after without bothering with goodbyes.

-----

Naruto shivered as a rough breeze passed over his damp skin and slowly lowered himself to the ground beside Sakura, his breathing heavy and labored.

"That was fun," he commented as she dropped to the earth beside him, sitting Indian style. There was a rip in her dress just above her pelvic bone, where her hip met her ribs, and a small trickle of blood was trailing down her skin, darkening the fabric beneath it.

Naruto winced; he'd been expecting her to dodge that bout of shuriken. In his anger and need to vent his anger over that morning, the boy hadn't noticed Sakura's reserve. However, after reevaluating the situation, Naruto found he couldn't believe that Sakura had stayed on the defensive the entire training session because of his amazing offense. He had not become that good in one day's time.

The blonde glared sullenly at the ground and clenched his teeth. "Tsunade and Jiraiya came for a visit this morning," he told her in a careful tone, watching her through the curtain of his eyelashes. Sakura's smile dropped, falling into a frown, and she met Naruto's gaze squarely, her eyes dark with resolve.

"Oh." She tensed defensively. "Well, it's not like I didn't warn you that I was going to tell them."

Naruto let out a huff of breath in agreement and pursed his lips, his eyes landing sharply on and following a tiny green garden snake that was slithering through the grass. He couldn't argue with that point, and yet he wanted to so badly because he had asked her to remain silent. If Sasuke found out, it would be her fault.

He picked up a stone and clenched it in his fist, trying to keep from saying anything incriminating.

"I know you're angry with me, Naruto," Sakura said after a pause, her voice haughty and stubborn as if he had no right to be upset. "But you might as well tell me what you found out."

He shrugged resentfully, his fingers itching to grab a shuriken - not a rock - and toss it at the snake. "Tsunade found out enough to demote me, _us_, to D rank missions for the foreseeable future."

Sakura opened her mouth, about to say something, and then closed it, her eyes softening into an expression of pity. She shifted nearer to Naruto and placed a hand on his knee. He flinched and tightened his grip on the stone, hard enough to feel the rock cutting into the calloused flesh of his hand.

"You don't have to pity me," Naruto told her in a snappy tone as he brushed her hand away with a dismissive flick of his own. Sakura scowled at him.

"Oh, would you quit being such a baby and tell me what's wrong." She smacked his leg and crossed her arms. The soft pink locks of hair framing her face fell into her eyes and she had to brush them away with a groan of frustration.

Naruto shifted defensively at the insult and glared back at Sakura. "_Apparently_, the red bouts are a side effect of irregular invisibility in which I can hear people's thoughts instead of their voices," he said with a dry smile that clearly said 'now leave it alone'.

"What?" Sakura screeched, her arms uncrossing in one fluid moment to catch her as she fell forward, landing on all fours with her bottom resting on her calves. She stared at him, wide-eyed and absolutely starving for information.

The boy sighed, his anger ebbing away at the curious - _worried_ - innocence on her face. "It'll be fine, Sakura," he assured her, his voice still edgy, and shrugged his shoulders awkwardly, loosening his grip on the stone.

"Don't you try to brush this off, Naruto," Sakura said, outraged, "You are going to tell me what happened."

"I already did." He groaned, and tried to stay angry with her. If Sasuke found anything out tonight during guard duty, it would be _her_ fault. So why was he suddenly forgiving her? The boy groaned in exasperation and let his shoulders droop, defeated.

"Naruto," she warned, her eyes narrowing threateningly.

He forced an awkward - tired - chuckle, "Of course it wouldn't hurt to fill you in on a few extra details…" the boy said with a resigned smile that didn't really feel like his own.

"No, I don't think it would." Sakura agreed, her eyebrows lifting expectantly. The boy bit the inside of his lip and tried to think of something worth telling her.

"When I woke up this morning, Tsunade and Jiraiya were at my apartment, knocking. But when I opened the door to let them in, they couldn't see me or hear me but _I_ could hear them -- er…well, I could hear their thoughts." Naruto let out a frustrated huff of air at the memory. "It was weird because they could still feel my touch and I could still feel theirs. It was like I was there, able to touch everything, but at the same time I wasn't."

Sakura muttered, "Weird… " She was apparently as thrown off guard by this revelation as Naruto had been. "So do you know how it's affecting Kyuubi? I mean, he has been acting oddly."

Naruto couldn't hate her when she stared at him so sincerely, her eyebrows drawn inward with concern and her bottom lip tugged between her teeth apprehensively.

"That's the weird thing. According to the hag, there was nothing wrong with Kyuubi," he said, still bitter at the decrepit old woman for demoting him to _guard duty_ of all things with _Sasuke_ of all people.

Sakura gave Naruto a reprimanding glare. "Don't call her that," she warned.

"Why shouldn't I?" he demanded. "She put me on guard duty with Sasuke tonight. That's all I'm capable of doing at the moment because _apparently_ I'm a liability." He groaned and glared at the ground, trying to evoke pity in Sakura.

Instead of pity, he received a soft laugh and a disbelieving snort. "Naruto, at this point, as much as I hate to admit it, you are a liability. What with your condition and all…" She trailed away and gauged his reaction.

"My condition?" Naruto scowled. So this new found _thing_ was a condition now? He clenched his teeth as Sakura opened her mouth to speak. "I'm _fine,_ Sakura. There is nothing wrong with me. So I go invisible once in awhile. I _do not_ need to be babysat or protected."

"I didn't say that," Sakura argued in irritation, "besides, for all we know someone could be moving your subconscious between planes or something as a way of trapping you. I've heard of that happening before like fifteen years ago."

Naruto snorted, still stung by her previous statement. He hated it when people underestimated him and told him what he _wasn't_ able to do. Negativity seemed to stick to him like Velcro, latching onto him and trying to drain him. For Naruto, the only way to remove this parasite was to do what he supposedly wasn't able to do - prove everyone wrong by conquering the source of the negativity.

And he would. He would convince Tsunade to send him on a mission and he would _not_ be a liability. He would be the one saving both Sasuke and Sakura's asses when things got rough. _He_ would not be a liability.

Naruto glanced down at his left hand, his eyes suddenly stony. He had sworn upon a cut in his left hand long ago that such a thing would never happen again, after all.

-----

Naruto slowly made his way towards the gates of Konoha, his hands in his pocket and his head ducked beneath the hood of his poncho. Fat droplets of rain were falling from the sky relentlessly, pasting his waterproof jacket to his body and chilling him to the bone.

He sniffled as the gate came into view and felt his stomach tense. Sasuke was standing there - waiting.

This was going to be fine, he reassured himself as he rubbed at his nose, which was running. He frowned. If it was going to be fine, why had he suddenly lost the ability to walk? He was frozen with apprehension it seemed. Sasuke had been absent from Naruto's life since the party - since he had implied that Naruto enjoyed Sai's attention before leaving with nothing but a cruel glare.

Naruto drew a deep breath and willed his legs to move, and they did. Of course, whether or not that was a good thing was arguable. As he neared the gate, Naruto noted that Sasuke was also wearing the standard black waterproof cloak; his black, sullen eyes watched Naruto approach with an expression of distaste.

Right, Sasuke was still upset about the party. If Naruto had not forgotten then Sasuke, who seemed to have a merciless memory, had certainly not released the details from his mind.

"Hey." Naruto strode over to his partner and smiled brightly, trying to hide his unease. Sasuke would not only be angry, but he would also be distrustful. They had not had guard duty in a long time. Not since Sasuke had been under suspicion, three months back after his lengthy escapade in Sound.

Naruto held his grin in the face of Sasuke's disapproval. If he kept his cool then perhaps he would be able to avoid any conflicts that could lead to Sasuke's discovery of his teammate's sudden 'condition'.

Sasuke rolled his eyes - or Naruto assumed he did - and nodded his head in the direction they were headed, indicating that the boy should follow.

Naruto trotted after him dutifully and let out an exaggerated sigh.

"Whew, today was rough, huh?" Naruto commented as he hurried alongside Sasuke. The dirt squelched noisily in their wake and Naruto found himself looking anywhere but at the dark-haired boy beside him.

He was ashamed. Naruto paled and tried to look at Sasuke, but he couldn't. Why the hell was _he_ ashamed? _He_ wasn't the one that had been a royal ass at the party.

Sasuke snorted after a pregnant pause and glanced at Naruto suspiciously. "What did you do that managed to land us on guard duty?" he asked without any formalities and stopped to stare at Naruto with blank eyes. The blonde surveyed their surroundings, avoiding Sasuke's gaze, and realized that this was where they had been assigned.

"What makes you think I did something?" He tried to sound casual but his voice came out as a high-pitched squeak.

Sasuke stared at him dryly. "That much should be obvious," he stated condescendingly. The blonde blushed and shrugged.

"I…uh… pissed Tsunade off more than usual," he lied with very little ease. The shake in his voice and the unsteady pace of his sentence made the falsehood obvious.

"Right." Sasuke shoved his hands in his pockets and turned away from Naruto, staring off into the distance. Naruto's shoulders lifted and fell as the boy let out a weary sigh. Beside him, Sasuke's red eyes scanned over the forest below, searching for anything out of the norm.

All Naruto could see was rain and lots of it. He shifted uncomfortably and opened his mouth, unsure of what he was going to say. "What did you do after Ino's party, huh?" The bitter edge to his tone couldn't be helped it appeared.

Either way, it worked as a conversation filler. Naruto scowled and let his own eyes wander to the trees, evading the dull glaze of his companion's stare.

Sasuke said nothing and began pacing, the steps taking him farther away from his original location.

"Why'd you leave anyway?" Naruto insisted, moving over to where the dark-haired boy had relocated. There was an aura of anger surrounding Sasuke, but Naruto ignored it. He wanted to know what had happened to upset his friend so severely the other night.

Sasuke ground his teeth irritably and growled. "Because I was _bored_."

"You liar. There was way too much happening for _anyone_ to be bored. Even you." Naruto kicked at a puddle, spraying Sasuke with an onslaught of muddy water. The motion brought an amused smile to his face and left him the victim of a furious glower.

Sasuke stared down at his wet cloak with disgust. "You could at least try to act your age," he growled and drew in a controlled breath.

"Oh, quit changing the subject you big priss." Naruto pulled his hands from his pockets and crossed his arms, surveying Sasuke with a raised eyebrow. Rain dripped from his face and a cold wind whipped his cloak about, tearing through the fabric and chilling his skin.

"I already told you why I left."

When he was wet, Sasuke looked like a drowned rat, even with a hood to keep him dry. Naruto took a step forward, finally meeting Sasuke's eyes.

"And I already told you I don't believe you," he countered, his gaze growing coldly amused. This was fun. This he could deal with. Fighting Sasuke was normal. He grinned.

"As if your opinion ever mattered," Sasuke retorted condescendingly.

Naruto snorted. "If my opinion didn't matter you would never have come back and you wouldn't have been so jealous of Sai."

Sasuke's eyes widened, as did Naruto's.

He had certainly not been expecting to say that. In all honesty, he'd never even considered the possibility that Sasuke could be jealous. But, judging by the horrified - by Sasuke's standards - blush on the other boy's face, perhaps the assumption wasn't too far off.

"I wasn't jealous," Sasuke snapped defensively. "It was just disgusting how he was all over you. Nobody likes seeing things like that, especially between two boys."

Naruto scoffed and grinned. "You _were_ jealous," he taunted. Across from him, Sasuke was growing increasingly tense, his eyes narrowed into tiny slits.

"_You_ didn't have to watch it," he said in his defense. "Besides, he looked like he was going to rape you."

"Like I wouldn't be able to defend myself if he tried," Naruto said dryly. He pulled back his hood, and stared at Sasuke with a superior smirk, waiting for some sort of response.

The other boy remained silent, refusing to take the bait.

So Naruto pushed onward. "Just admit it, you were jealous."

Sasuke still said nothing and turned away, watching the perimeter of the forest for intruders even though both boys knew there were none.

Naruto laughed and said in a sickeningly sweet voice, "At least I know you care." He came up behind Sasuke, grinning wickedly.

"Of course I do, dobe," Sasuke murmured, or at least Naruto thought that was what he had said because the boy's voice had been barely a whisper at best.

Naruto felt his throat go dry and his eyes began to search Sasuke's empty face desperately. If he looked closely enough he could see the traces of a smirk on the other boy's face. And if he let his imagination loose upon the image, he could see the tiniest flicker of affection in Sasuke's eyes and the smirk was actually a smile.

Naruto grinned and resisted the urge to lay his hand on Sasuke's shoulder. He couldn't remember _when_ he had stopped hating the rain, but he certainly remembered why.

"Thanks," he whispered and let his eyes move from Sasuke to the forest below.

And so they both watched the world below with identical smiles on their faces, beacons of light in the center of a storm.

-----

_Everything was off. Not only was his vision black and white with no grays, but what should have been light was dark and what should have been dark was light. The entire world was inverted and nothing was as it should have been._

_Naruto stood in the center of this world, in the end of an endless valley that rolled in waves of dark, black grass. His eyes roved over the strange scene warily, trying to find something to focus on - something to lead him._

_He thought he heard the soft scuffle of footsteps, but when the boy turned to stare in the direction the sound had come from, there was nothing; only a silence that seemed to mock him as the black sky flickered white, as if it were laughing._

_In the distance, a white figure was barely visible. It was nothing more than a silhouette that glowed against the black sky. It shifted and Naruto could just make out two red dots on what had to be the face. They were blaringly visible, almost glowing, because they were the only colour in this strange world._

_Naruto took a step forward, but the figure remained still. It had noticed him, ruby eyes locked on him in a dead gaze. He knew those eyes. They belonged to Sasuke._

_The boy's advance on his teammate grew faster, each step falling sooner than it should, creating a sloppy rhythm of pounding on the ground. The sound of grass crunching beneath his feet echoed in the stagnant silence that seemed to be unwavering._

_"Sasuke?" Naruto called when he was about five meters away from the boy. Red eyes snapped into focus and narrowed on Naruto. The boy turned and walked away from Naruto, his slow steps somehow faster than the blonde's, which were quick and restless._

_Sasuke's soundless saunter stopped and he glanced over his shoulder at Naruto, his face apathetic, and crossed into a forest's edge. The growth of trees had not been there seconds before, and yet its appearance seemed natural - expected._

_Naruto took a tentative step towards the line of trees and bit his lip in indecision. He had no idea where he was or what on Earth lay beyond the first row of foliage. But, if Sasuke had gone that way, then he would as well. He would follow his dark-haired companion until he was able to make sense of his life._

_One step through the line of vegetation took Naruto into a clearing that was lined with tall towering cliffs of white that contrasted starkly with the black sky. In the center of the clearing stood Sasuke, his back to Naruto. The Uchiha family emblem glared at the blonde, the red and black of the fan looking misplaced upon the boy's white silhouette. Something was wrong with the symbol though…the colours seemed off._

_"Come to me," a raspy voice whispered from above and both Naruto and Sasuke looked up, their eyes landing on Orochimaru._

_The blonde boy took in a gasp of air and his eyes darted to Sasuke, who was smirking at Orochimaru in boredom._

_"Will you give me the power to kill my brother?" he asked in monotone._

_Orochimaru nodded and, with skills Naruto had never before witnessed, Sasuke leapt upwards landing alongside the founder of the Hidden Village of Sound._

_"What the hell are you doing?" Naruto demanded, rushing toward the white face of the cliff and placing both hands on the deceivingly smooth stone. It sliced into his hands, drawing blood, which glowed a deep crimson, staining the purity of the white beneath his wounded appendages._

_"Seeing to my needs." Sasuke's voice echoed in the dormant clearing. "If you wish to stop me, come up here."_

_And so Naruto climbed. His pace was sluggish at first but it slowly became faster until he was climbing over the edge to stand before a frowning Orochimaru and a smirking Sasuke._

_He reached for Sasuke. "You're not leaving ever again."_

_Sasuke snorted and took a step backwards just as Orochimaru stepped in front of the evasive boy. He grinned, his snake-like tongue flitting out to wet his lips._

_"You will never have him back." A black arm reached forward, connected with Naruto's shoulder, and shoved __hard. The blonde took a step backward, his eyes widening as he did so, and he fell off the edge of the cliff._

_He let out a strangled yelp, crying, 'Sasuke' loudly and watched as the familiar pair of crimson eyes peered over the edge of the cliff, watching his descent. The boy shook his head and turned away._

_Naruto struggled for breath and flapped his arms uselessly, trying to slow his fall, but it was to no avail. He only seemed to fall faster._

_Below him, a light glowed orange, drawing him into its misleading warmth and pulling him safely to the ground._

_"It is you," a deep voice observed through the glow of orange and the wiry form of a fox stepped into Naruto's line of vision._

_The boy stumbled backwards, falling onto his bottom and felt his breath leave him. "What am I doing here?" he asked, his voice cracking as he clambered away from the predatory eyes that were surveying him._

_"Running away," Kyuubi replied. His voice was terrifying, the falsetto tones overlaying the bass to create a thousand voices coming from one body. "When will you stop going backwards, I wonder?" The demon pondered aloud, its eyes narrowing, conniving._

_Then it jumped, claws drawn and aimed to kill, "You had better stop going backwards, boy!"_

_Naruto let out a harried shout and rolled to the side, leaving the illusory comfort of the orange light and entered a garden. The sound of water running over a bed of rocks tinkled through the air, its sound a soft lullaby to his shaking nerves._

_"You're back?" a deep voice asked and Naruto rolled onto his stomach, the warmth of the sun beating down upon his back and the coolness of the grass caressing his stomach. He was staring directly at Sasuke, who was sprawled across from him in the same position._

_Naruto raised an eyebrow and stared at his comrade, confused. "Did I leave?" The encounter with Kyuubi was already gone from his mind._

_"Yes," Sasuke replied in boredom. This boy wasn't the Sasuke Naruto now knew, he acted like the old one._

_"Oh." Naruto glanced down at the grass and shrugged, "Sorry."_

_The boy across from him snorted. "You never understand, dobe," he informed Naruto, almost wistfully._

_The blonde wished Sasuke would stop changing the subject so rapidly that his words made no sense._

_"What?" He lifted his body so he was sitting, staring down at the dark-haired boy before him._

_"You never understand," Sasuke reiterated, also rising, only to a standing position. He held out a hand to Naruto and watched him expectantly._

_"Yeah, I got that. But I don't get what you're saying." Naruto took the offered hand and rose to his feet. Sasuke smirked in amusement and the blonde realized the irony of his question._

_"Come," Sasuke said calmly and led Naruto towards the stream, which was white washed over black. Like a façade of purity worn to disguise evil. The boys hopped over the stream and came to the edge of another cliff._

_There was streak of lightning in the air and Naruto shuddered as a cold wind tore at his skin. Moments later a clap of thunder sounded above them. Sasuke's eyes darkened and he advanced upon Naruto, forcing the boy to the cliff's edge._

_"Sasuke?" Naruto sounded unsure, his voice wary and betrayed all at once._

_"You__don't understand!" the boy restated through clenched teeth, growing suddenly aggravated. "It was __always worth it."_

_And Naruto was pushed backwards and then he was falling and Sasuke was staring down at him with a sad expression on his face; an expression so sad that Naruto swore he could see the shine of tears in the boy's eyes._

Then he woke up and the world was red-washed and the dream slowly began to fade.

But Naruto had enough time to stare at his ceiling and wish that Sasuke had said, "You were always worth it" before he fell asleep again, this time without dreams.

* * *

AN: Sorry this took so long to get out. I've been busy rehearsing and touring so SF has sort of taken a back seat position. Don't worry though, Chapter 5 is about halfway done and there's _lots_ of Sasuke in it! 

Anyway, as I've mentioned almost every chapter, I love long reviews that tell me how I can improve or even what you really liked, so feel free to leave me one wink wink!  
-TJ


	5. Chapter V

_Posted: August 31, 2006_

**Disclaimer**: Do not own.

**Warnings**: Shounen ai, spoilers for anyone not keeping up with the manga, & AUish. Anything involving Akatsuki and bijuus after the timeskip is completely irrelevant to this story, and as such, never happened. Actually, this applies to everything after the timeskip except the part where Naruto, Sakura, and Sai meet up with Sasuke.

**General**: Takes place after chapter 308 for those of you that_are_ keeping up with the manga.

**Thank yous**: peachie-x and Nox (betas) as well as everyone who has reviewed SF. Much love!

**Summary**: _The invisibility started with one silly wish upon a star. Good thing Sasuke's doormat personality, Sai's attempts at matchmaking, and a mission gone wrong were all quite normal in the life of Naruto Uzumaki... Wait. What? SasuNaru_

* * *

**Previously**: 

'_Then he woke up and the world was red-washed and the dream slowly began to fade._

_But Naruto had enough time to stare at his ceiling and wish that Sasuke had said, "You were always worth it" before he fell asleep again, this time without dreams.'_

* * *

**Surface Flaws **

Chapter V

"_Lately I've been thinking  
Maybe you're not ready for me  
Maybe you think I need to learn maturity  
They say watch what you ask for  
Cause you might receive  
But if you ask me tomorrow  
I'll say the same thing _

_I am ready for love  
Would you please lend me your ear?  
I promise I won't complain  
I just need you to acknowledge I am here."_

_-Ready For Love (India Arie) _

Waking up to see a red world and knowing the reasoning for said wash of colour was a relief when the last few weeks had been spent in anxious oblivion.

Naruto had opened his eyes that morning and known almost instantaneously that he could do whatever he pleased and no one would be able to stop him let alone blame him. It was impossible to be held responsible for something when no one had any proof, after all.

Naturally, Naruto had decided that he would have to use this newfound power to generate chaos, disorder, and just stir shit in general, which brought him to his current location.

A grin broke through his transparent features as the blonde approached a walkway lined with thriving dragon snaps. The plants were explosive in their wide array of colours - like fireworks - and they set Naruto's mind onto a train of devilish thoughts.

If he was going to stir a pot, it had to be Sasuke's.

Naturally.

The invisible ninja continued around the side of the Uchiha's house - even he wasn't stupid enough to sneak in through a trained shinobi's front door - and found an open window. The curtains on the inside of the pane rustled in a cream swirl under the wind's influence.

Not bothering to contemplate the pure happenstance that Sasuke's window would be open, Naruto skillfully crawled through the deceivingly large space and found himself seated on a white counter. He stared at the pristine surface for a moment, wincing when he saw flecks of dirt where he previously sat.

As quietly as possible, Naruto swiped an invisible hand over the dust, brushing it to the floor where it scattered to a less noticeable mess.

"Sasuke really needs to get out more…" the boy muttered under his breath and silently jumped from the counter, landing with a tiny smack of sandals on hardwood. With any luck, Sasuke would still be fast asleep.

Naruto chuckled evilly under his breath and began to surreptitiously tiptoe through the kitchen, eyes and ears perked and alert for any trace of sound or movement. He stopped at the entryway to the kitchen, coming to a crossroad of sorts where two hallways intersected.

The boy's face scrunched up thoughtfully, his eyes narrowing and his lips pursing into what could only be described as a contemplative pout, as he considered his options. Each hall had a smattering of doors lining the walls, but only one carried the soft sound of strangled snores.

Lips peeling back into a predatory grin that screamed trouble, Naruto continued his furtive dance down the hall. The heels of his feet were raised from the floor and his shoulders were hunched forward to accommodate the way his hands flopped before his chest. This position, eerily similar to that of a hunchback kangaroo, was what the blonde ninja liked to call his 'sneaky stance'. He wanted to chuckle, but supposed that would be an unwise decision, should he suddenly lose his cover of invisibility.

So, it was with his tongue firmly clamped between his teeth to keep from making any sound that Naruto slid into Sasuke's room, a crazy glint in his eyes and a wild grin on his face. Soft pattering accompanied his steps as he tiptoed towards the sleeping boy.

Sasuke asleep was nearly endearing, Naruto observed as he shoved his hand into his pocket and began to dig around absently. Dark hair fell over the sleeping boy's cheeks and framed the slightly parted line of his lips. Quick, tiny breaths leaked from his limp body and the occasional light snore escaped his nose.

Naruto was perilously close to making cute cooing noises when his fingers wrapped around the item in his pocket, at which point his features smoothed into a conniving grin. Carefully, the boy pulled a thick black permanent marker from his pocket and removed the cap with a barely audible _click_.

If Sasuke were to wake up, he would see nothing but a floating black marker.

Naruto brought the writing device to his teammate's smooth cheeks and began vigilantly drawing out the designs he had decided upon that morning at breakfast.

If Sasuke were to wake up, he would no doubt recognize the scent of Naruto's soap.

The marker continued its trek across Sasuke's face as Naruto mentally scolded himself for showering that morning. Sure, it had been more than two days since his last shower, but body odor was a lot less distinguishable than the cheap bars of soap the blonde used. Then again, if he had shown up in a putrid haze of stink, the dark-haired Uchiha would probably already be awake.

Naruto pulled the marker away from Sasuke's face, recapping the lid. He was amazed that the normally light sleeper had not awoken at the sensation of marker upon his face. A moment passed as Naruto took one last glance over of the designs upon his teammates face, before his eyes widened triumphantly and he once again adopted his 'sneaky stance'.

The next destination for Naruto in the Uchiha household was the washroom, which was where he currently was - contentedly fiddling with the toothpaste ingredients - when he heard the distinct shuffling of blankets coming from Sasuke's bedroom.

Pulling a strained face, Naruto quickly screwed the lid on the toothpaste bottle he was holding and replaced the white tube on the immaculate counter before dashing out of the room as quietly as possible. He slid around the corner that led to the kitchen and all but dive-rolled out the open window, managing to take one cream curtain with him.

He stared down at the now grass stained material that was caught on his sandal and mentally went through every swear word he knew.

Well, shit.

If he was lucky, the two earlier pranks would keep Sasuke distracted long enough for him to fix the curtain. Looking around with suspicious caution, Naruto once again crawled through Sasuke's window, this time with the cream curtain in hand.

Through the kitchen, around the corner, down the hall, and in the bedroom, the sound of bare feet on hardwood echoed through the home, smacking ominously in the silence, ticking away the seconds of Naruto's happy life as he knew it. He blanched. Sasuke was going to kill him if he found out that Naruto had been the mastermind behind these absolutely devious pranks.

The boy swallowed nervously and focused his undivided attention on the curtain at hand, staring at the metal rod above the windowpane and the grass-stained piece of cloth before him.

Trying to be quiet, he pulled the metal cylinder down as methodically as possible and placed it on his lap.

Now, if he could only find away to string the curtain onto the rod…

That was when Naruto realized the parts of the drape that were supposed to be threaded onto the bar were completely torn. He resisted the urge to slam his head against the wall and instead stared helplessly at the curtain.

The footsteps were now entering the washroom and a soft murmur, presumably Sasuke's thoughts, was filling the silence. The blue-eyed shinobi glanced up in horror, seeing his life flash before his eyes in a haze of particularly boring events.

Naruto pulled a dry expression and let out a soft growl. Trust him to replay all the dull parts of his life such as doing laundry and picking his nose rather than the cool ones like the Chuunin exam or the day Sasuke came back, just before he died.

The ghostly noise of Sasuke's thoughts mumbled incoherently. "-fucking thinks I'm jealous? …can't even find…paper bag…fucking…if I care-"

The shower started and drowned out the sound of Sasuke's thoughts and Naruto could do nothing more than stare at the entryway in a daze, unable to process anything more than the absence of Sasuke's furious expression in the doorway to the kitchen.

He was alive.

Who knew? Sasuke showered first thing in the morning without doing anything else.

Which meant Sasuke hadn't seen his reflection in the mirror yet, and he hadn't touched his toothpaste. He had simply walked straight into the shower - Naruto coloured, trying not to think about what Sasuke looked like in the shower - and occupied himself, giving the blonde at least another five minutes to do something with the curtain.

Invigorated by this obvious hint from God, or the realistic equivalent to, Naruto was suddenly assaulted by a plague of ideas, the best of which he settled upon with a sinister chuckle.

The black marker was once again withdrawn from his pocket and the boy immediately set to work, his tongue poking through his lips as he toiled away at his masterpiece. He completed the gift for Sasuke with a triumphant "Ha!" and bolted for the front door, grinning manically as he observed the piece of work.

Just as he reached the entrance to the home, the shower stopped and Sasuke's thoughts once again rang through the home.

"-needed that cold shower. He thinks I'm jealous… does that mean that he's suspicious?"

Naruto stopped, his face drawing into a horrified expression as he realized what Sasuke was thinking.

"No, there's no way he can know. And even if he does, I'll be sure to keep from giving him any more hints, ungrateful bastard. I came back just for him and he throws himself at Sai…No, I'm _not_…"

Naruto shook his head, trying to pretend he was not hearing what Sasuke was saying as he tied the curtain around the doorknob. A black face with its tongue sticking out stared at him as he swallowed nervously. He was i _not_ /i going to think about Sasuke and his thoughts. If they weren't addressed then they didn't exist…

"Now where the hell did I put that towel…"

The telltale tug at Naruto's navel sent blood rushing to his ears and his teammate's thoughts were suddenly drowned out by the wave of noise. Naruto gasped, feeling his head compress and stumbled towards the kitchen.

He saw a flicker from the corner of his eye and fell against the wall to stop his progression. Nervous blue eyes surveyed the living room he had tumbled into and fell upon a pair of crimson eyes in the shadows of the room.

Suddenly the sick feeling wasn't just due to his impromptu jolt back to the real world; but more the result of a deep-seeded terror.

"Sasuke!" the boy tried to call loudly, but his voice caught in his throat then filtered through his mouth, which had grown sticky with dry saliva, and came out as a gurgle. "Sasuke! Get the fuck out here!" Naruto yelled again, his eyes wide with terror as he stared at the crimson eyes that were barely visible through the shadows. His stomach lurched and expanded within his body. The boy called Sasuke's name again around the pain.

There was no response.

Apparently, he was still invisible.

Naruto stepped forward - staggered actually - and felt his voice whisper, "Itachi?"

The sound was raspy and dry, which could be credited to his sudden cottonmouth. A soft breath and another flicker were the only response Naruto received. He took another step forward - positive that Itachi could probably hear the contracting of his tense muscles accompanied by his heartbeat - and nearly died of relief.

"A photo," he laughed nervously as his stomach pressed outward, pushing through his skin and pulling his ribcage with it, expanding like a balloon.

He gasped and doubled over, though he kept staring through squinted eyes. Right before him, on a shadowed shelf, sat a photo of Itachi's solemn face. The man's eyes glowed ruby and the gaunt pale curves of his features all seemed to exist solely to frame the strange lines under his eyes.

Naruto flinched away from the image, his mind caught between terror and amusement as his body struggled through the numbing pain that engulfed it. Then he heard a strangled yell from the bathroom and was jolted back to reality.

"Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck," he whispered repeatedly under his breath in a terrified mantra. He had heard Sasuke's yell, which meant he was no longer invisible. In his terror, Naruto had failed to acknowledge the cessation in expanding and contracting that his body was jerking through.

He backed up towards the doorway that lead to the kitchen, gathered his chakra in his feet, careful to keep the amount low, and pushed away from the floor. The boy flew across the room and barely managed to slide through the open window.

When he hit the ground, Naruto immediately rolled into a standing position and ran down the street, away from Sasuke's house as fast as he could without looking back. If his day turned out as he was expecting it to, he would see Sasuke at his doorstep covered in black smudges, seething, and aching for a fight in a matter of minutes.

-----

As it had turned out, Sasuke had shown up at his door, his face smudged in black, and a sour expression on his face.

Naruto smiled at the seething boy before him and began, "Do you want to come in? I have some ramen starte-"

"Why the fuck were you in my home?" Sasuke cut him off in a hoarse growl and stood where he was, refusing to enter. Had the Uchiha not looked so incredibly lethal, Naruto would have laughed at the ridiculous attempt the boy had made at removing the 'seal designs' from his face.

As it were, Naruto could do nothing but stare in horror a moment before quickly saying, "What the hell happened to you?" The shock on his face had to be believable, Naruto thought as Sasuke's eyes widened in rage then slitted. Somehow, the quiet, closed-off fuming was more intimidating than the brash 'I need to kill something' fuming.

"Don't lie to me, Naruto," Sasuke all but yelled, livid. "How did you find it?"

"Find what?" Naruto cowered as Sasuke loomed over him, pushing him further into the house. It was moments like these that the blonde was acutely aware of the difference in their height.

The world beyond them was still, watching and waiting for Sasuke to snap and do something horribly violent like punch Naruto or toss half a dozen kunai at him, killing him in an excessive display of fury.

"I know it was you! You're the only person stupid enough to pull a prank like that that knows what the seal looks like!" Sasuke's voice was frenzied and his eyes were darting about tensely. His hands opened and closed around nothing, and he swallowed anxiously.

Looking closer, Naruto realized the veins in the boy's eyes as well as traces of scratches at the edge of his scalp were visible…

"You need to calm down…" Naruto attempted in a placating tone. Sasuke scowled and drew in a ragged breath, his eyes flashing about the home as he pushed his way passed Naruto, closing the door behind him - closing off the world.

Naruto stepped aside and waited as Sasuke stood there, his chakra flaring then falling in uneven bursts that matched his labored breathing. His eyes stared at Naruto - terrified - the color of angry, bloody red. The blonde swallowed nervously and tried to place a hand on Sasuke's shoulder to calm him down - but as he had expected, it was batted away without a thought.

Sasuke clenched his jaw resolutely, his eyes going unnervingly blank, as he slowly stopped shaking. "How did you know where that photo was?" he demanded. His voice was quiet, eerily so, and Naruto couldn't help but fear that if he said the wrong thing Sasuke's careful control on his temper would break and he would dispose of words, and opt for attacking Naruto.

He bit his lip and stared back at Sasuke. The man looked so i _scared_ /i , which made no sense because Naruto hadn't done anything horrible. He thought of the photo and felt his eyebrows furrow in hesitant confusion.

"The photo…?" Naruto took a step away from Sasuke as he tried to think of what could upset his friend so devastatingly. "I'll admit I was there, Sasuke. But I didn't do anything with a photo, I just drew the seals on you…" he trailed away, unsure of whether Sasuke had seen the drawing of a face sticking its tongue out crudely on the curtain or tasted the 'toothpaste' concocted with soap and shaving cream.

"And fucked with my toothpaste and ruined my drape," Sasuke finished, his voice rising again, "But how the fuck did you find that photo of Itachi and why the hell did you put it there, on _that_ desk. Are you that fucking stupid? Did you not see the-" The boy's voice caught in his throat and he stopped, his eyes falling to the ground stubbornly.

Naruto stared at his friend, concerned, and took a wary step forward. He was completely at a loss on what to do. However, when Sasuke raised his eyes, meeting Naruto's gaze with a sturdy glare that could only be described as heart-wrenchingly betrayed, he stopped. Naruto's hand clenched at his side in helpless frustration and he had no idea what to say.

This feeling of unwanted dependence was the same one he had felt when Sasuke had left.

"I didn't put the photo up, Sasuke. I saw it and I thought…"

What had he thought when he had finally realized Itachi wasn't hiding in Sasuke's home waiting to finish off his younger brother? Naruto shook his head and avoided the heated glare rather than enduring it.

He had thought that Sasuke had put it there as a reminder that he had to kill Itachi. He had thought it was a way for Sasuke to indulge in his masochistic tendencies without physically hurting himself.

"I guess I didn't really think. You had woken up just when I saw it, so I left." Naruto refused to look up, he could just feel the disbelief rolling off Sasuke in waves of disapproval and shocked hurt.

"How did it get there then?" Sasuke insisted. He looked like he was going to strangle something or pass out from emotional shock, but he continued speaking anyway. "How did it get there, on the desk that I've set up with a memorial for my parents?"

Naruto felt his breath hitch and let his weight fall to the wall. Sasuke couldn't really think that he would do that, could he? That was way below his level. That was sadistic and cruel. As much as he hated Sasuke at times and wanted to strangle him, he would never stoop that low.

Sasuke stared at him, his face unnervingly blank. He was completely still - waiting.

"I would never…" Naruto whispered, trying to remember what had happened. He had seen a flicker, just like all the other times, and he wanted to tell that to Sasuke because it could be a hint, but…

But if he did, Sasuke would think that the incident was an isolated event when it really wasn't. Naruto swallowed and cautiously raised his gaze, meeting the stare of the boy across from him.

Sasuke didn't say anything for a moment, but eventually muttered, "I know, but…" His voice was relieved if anything; as if he'd been hoping the whole time to be proven wrong. "Who did it then?"

The dark-haired shinobi sighed, deflated, and looked past Naruto at the empty kitchen table. His expression was one of fatigue and a troubled glint clouded his eyes. For some strange reason, Naruto seemed to be completely focused on Sasuke. The way his breathing was still off from his earlier distress and the way he couldn't seem to tear his blank but somehow still troubled gaze away from the table was unsettling.

Naruto shrugged helplessly and shoved his hands in his pockets to keep from reaching out for the other boy. Sasuke hated contact, no matter what the situation. It would be wise to respect that about the other boy at a time like this.

"I was just about to head over to see the hag. She called us in today," Naruto said, breaking the silence that had consumed them. He shifted his weight uncomfortably and waited for a response, but it seemed that Sasuke had not heard.

"Hey, Sasuke. Did you hear me?" He tugged his hand from his pocket irritably and snapped his fingers in front of the other boy's face, trying to grab his attention. He felt a harsh smack on his arm and smirked at the annoyed expression on Sasuke's face.

"Yeah, I heard you. We might as well head over now," Sasuke grumbled with a sour expression and turned away, heading down the street alone. His footsteps were loud upon the gravel road and they seemed to mirror the desolate hunch of isolation that his shoulders had adopted.

Naruto held back a moment and watched Sasuke's retreating back tentatively, before scrambling after the boy with a shouted, "Hey, wait up jackass!"

-----

Naruto let out a long, exaggerated sigh and tapped his foot on the ground in disinterest. The fly right beside Tsunade's head that just kept circling inanely was becoming increasingly fascinating. Short and concise didn't seem to be one of the hag's numerous abilities, so Naruto was forced to endure the deadly boredom of her pre-mission speech by watching a _fly_ of all things.

"Naruto, would you pay attention!" A sharp elbow wedged itself between the boy's ribs and he let out a hiss of pain, glaring at his attacker, Sakura, indignantly. She met his gaze with narrowed eyes then turned away with an aggravated shake of her head, muttering, "Men," under her breath.

"I'm about to brief you on your mission, brat, so you'd better start listening." Tsunade's voice, though authoritative and loud as ever, was nothing more than a drone and Naruto struggled to let his attention somehow wander back to the woman. She was so damn boring.

"Yeah yeah," he dismissed with a dry eyeroll. The fly's circles were getting smaller and the buzzing sound was getting louder, judging by Tsunade's disgruntled expression.

"Naruto!" she suddenly yelled, and he had to wonder if the disgruntled expression was really a result of the fly. "Would you pay attention?"

"I_am_," he retorted, unruffled by the fury of the strongest ninja in Konoha.

"Good. Now, as I was saying earlier-"

Naruto groaned and smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand. "One time is enough; you don't have to repeat it, hag."

"Do you know what I'm about to say, brat?" Tsunade demanded. She leaned forward threateningly and pegged Naruto with an intimidating stare.

"If I ignored you the first time you said it, I'm not gonna care much more the second time," he retorted. Beside him, Sakura let out an exasperated sigh and stared heavenward, muttering under her breath about stupid, relentless, teammates. On his other side, Sasuke was being about as expressive as a wall.

"Would you rather I _not_ give you this mission and put you on guard duty again for the next year?"

Naruto felt his stomach clench and for a brief moment, he felt nothing but burning hate for the woman before him. "I thought you were already planning on doing that," he said in a steady, almost bored tone that masked his growing unease. He was grasped with a paralyzing fear as he tried to pretend he had no clue as to where this conversation was headed.

As such, he was unable to curb Tsunade's inevitable reply of, "To think I was stupid enough to assume you could handle an actual mission after what happened."

Suddenly, Sasuke's interest was perked and he came to life like a cat waking from a nap, slowly and languorously, yet vividly alert. Naruto didn't have to look at the boy to see this. He could feel the prying gaze on him, feel the sudden excited tension in the other boy's body, feel the hunger for information that was absolutely, under no circumstances, allowed to reach his ears. Naruto wanted to puke.

"I can handle a mission," he exclaimed, eyes darting nervously in Sasuke's direction. There was still that suffocating aura of curiosity surrounding him. "I'm just sick of listening to you talk about-"

"Would you shut up and let her speak, Naruto." Sakura cut in. Her eyes were not on the subject of her sentence, but rather the boy past him, Sasuke. It seemed that she had noticed Naruto's sudden panic and decided to help him. The boy turned to her with wide eyes, silently thanking her for the out.

He grumbled, "Whatever," in an attempt to retain a sense of normalcy and turned back to Tsunade, still shaken by the sudden realization that Sasuke could very well find out, especially now that he knew for sure there was a reason Naruto had been assigned to guard duty.

Tsunade settled a stern gaze on the boy before her and continued without any pretence, "The three of you were requested for this mission, which is why I am sending you. Because you are all very capable of looking after yourselves, and the mission seems simple enough. I am going to send you three alone. Kakashi is still not stable enough to travel, let alone complete a mission, and you know why his temporary replacement is unable to accompany you…"

Her voice trailed away and Naruto felt his stomach knot. If Yamato were alive, he would be accompanying them, Tsunade had just said as much. A rush of anger flooded his veins and Naruto glared at Sasuke, who was still staring. He could stare all he wanted for all Naruto cared.

"Yeah, we know why Yamato-sensei isn't able to come." Naruto stared back, his gaze furiously intense. A slight wince was the only indication given that Sasuke recognized the name. "Don't you know who I'm talking about?" the blonde demanded, taking a threatening step forward.

"Yes," Sasuke hissed, his eyes narrowing. Naruto, still shaken by his earlier panic, felt a building need to hurt something.

"Would you two save this for later?" Tsunade interrupted. Though she appeared bored, Naruto knew that behind that misleading expression was a watchful gaze trying to sort through the screwed up relationship of two teenage boys.

"Of course," Naruto said, turning back to the hag with a calm shrug and not another glance at Sasuke.

"Wonderful. You will be leaving tomorrow morning for a small village on the outskirts of Leaf. The village is concerned with the increasing number of mysterious murders. The rest of the details are in the folder I gave Sakura before you two showed up."

Naruto nodded, refusing to look at Sasuke and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Sasuke and Sakura, you may leave. Naruto, could you please stay behind a moment."

-----

Naruto watched as the door closed soundly behind Sakura and turned back to the Hokage, his arms uncrossing. "What do you want?"

"I take it Sasuke is unaware of your condition?" she asked, ignoring Naruto's silent fury. Her hands were folded on her desk in a show of calmness. Naruto wanted to smack her for being so casual.

"Why the hell does everyone keep calling it a condition?" The sentence crawled through his throat in an exasperated hiss that swelled into a spiteful growl.

Tsunade rolled her eyes and chose to ignore him. "If you're not careful he will find out during this mission."

This caught Naruto's attention and he moved to her desk in three strides, stopping before the woman and slamming his palms down. Sasuke would not find out during this mission. He wouldn't care if he knew and…

Naruto swallowed, trying to keep his glare steady. Sasuke wouldn't care if he knew and that would kill him. It would kill him as much as it had killed him when Sasuke had said everything was worth it, maybe more. And that in itself was a pain in the ass.

He shouldn't care this much. Naruto wanted to run forward rather than backward, leave behind this stupid obsession with a Sasuke he could never reclaim - _save_. He wanted to stop wishing that he had stopped Orochimaru. And most of all he wanted to stop believing that Sasuke's decision had been made as a personal vendetta, a way to hurt Naruto - push him away.

Then again, as Sasuke would say if he ever heard these thoughts, "Don't flatter yourself, you don't mean that much to me." And it was the truth.

He would never mean as much to Sasuke as the boy meant to him. He swallowed around the lump in his throat and cursed Sasuke in his mind over and over again. No matter how much they fought, he just couldn't let the other boy leave again, and if he found out he would.

And where would that leave Naruto? Following after an illusion even more persistently than he already was?

A shuffle of movement from the corner of his eye drew Naruto to the present, barely. "He can't find out," Naruto found himself saying as memories of Sasuke flashed through his mind. Tsunade began to speak, something about how Sakura was going to cover for him, but he didn't listen with more than half an ear - he was too busy reliving his past tragedies.

Sasuke almost dying at the hands of Haku.

Sasuke saving him countless times.

Sasuke leading him to the hospital roof where they engaged in a fight that Naruto could hardly understand.

Sasuke's eyes burning with a hate so alive they left burns worse than any jutsu ever could.

Sasuke's Chidori connecting with his Rasengan and then a sudden realization that he was gone…

Naruto shuddered, remembering the consuming emptiness of loss. If Sasuke found out, he would leave again and, even if he wasn't the old Sasuke, he was still here. And, in the end, that was more than enough.

-----

Three sharp raps were all that were needed to bring Sakura to the door with a smile so big it almost hurt to look at on her face.

"Come on in!" she urged and ushered the slightly taller boy into her home. Naruto felt his own lips pulling upward and heaved a relieved sigh. Sakura seemed to inspire rejuvenation within those around her.

The boy allowed himself to be dragged into the living room where he was then forcefully seated on a loveseat alongside his closest friend. "You spoke to Tsunade then?" she asked expectantly. Her hands fiddled with the hem of her skirt, an outlet for the nervous energy that seemed to be overwhelming her.

"Yeah, I thought I'd stop by and confirm the plans with you," Naruto replied carefully. It sounded the like right thing to say considering he had no clue as to what Tsunade had said. He'd been far too caught up in himself to care about the woman's words, wise or not.

"Good. I was really hoping to speak with you alone before the mission," Sakura indulged, her fingers suddenly tapping on her legs in a quick offbeat rhythm. "I figure the best excuse would be to say that in the mornings you're going scouting ahead because there are lots of thieves."

Naruto considered this a moment, trying to figure out what exactly they were talking about when it clicked. She was going to help him in his quest to keep Sasuke from knowing. He smiled to himself and found his gaze drawn to the movement of Sakura's hands.

"It doesn't just happen in the morning though." Naruto watched her hands with rapt fascination; they continued their stream of movement as he spoke, and then paused.

Sakura's eyebrows furrowed in concern and she asked, "Can you tell me before it happens when we're on the mission?"

"No, it's pretty sudden." Naruto snorted at the idea of warning Sakura. In all likelihood, he'd be gone before a word could escape his lips, save for a pained groan perhaps.

"Is it too sudden for you to at least dive out of sight?" she asked after a brief pause. Her fingers had started moving again and she was leaning forward, her eyes intense and dancing.

"I could probably do that…" Naruto said reluctantly. He'd probably fall to the ground in pain then roll to the side clenching his stomach: the epitome of grace…

Sakura beamed again, the same smile that made Naruto wince, and exclaimed, "Good! We can just make up something about Kyuubi's senses then to explain why you keep going ahead!"

"Like what? They've been amplified for no apparent reason?" Naruto snorted and grinned at Sakura, finding the idea offhandedly hilarious.

"Oh don't start," she chided with a light smack that ended up sending Naruto into the arm of the loveseat with a loud _thump_. She still didn't realize how strong she was. Naruto groaned into the smooth fabric as the burst of pain passed.

"Sakura-chaaaaaaaaaaaan!" he whined as he sat up, rubbing his forehead and drawing his face into a hideous pout. "That was mean."

"Shut up, I'm thinking," she snapped, though the slight upturn of her lips undermined her serious tone.

"But it huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurts!" Naruto moaned, falling so that his head was on her shoulder and he was staring up at her with sparkling blue eyes. She paused to give him a dry look of amusement before rolling her eyes and waving her hand to hush him.

"You're going to say that at various points in the day you will be scouting ahead." Sakura gave Naruto her 'no interruptions' look and continued, "Sasuke needs to stay behind because I am less able to hold my own in a battle than you-"

"That's not true anymore though," Naruto interjected, sitting up from his pathetic position on Sakura and giving her a confused look. She was perfectly capable, and had been ever since Sasuke had left.

"Sasuke doesn't know that," she pointed out. "Besides, if he thinks he has to look after me he'll be less inclined to spend all his time obsessing over you…" Sakura trailed away, her tone i _almost_ /i bitter.

The jealousy in her voice certainly didn't cause Naruto to cough awkwardly and chuckle under his breath. She ignored him and stared at her hands with a frown.

Naruto noticed the troubled look on her face and elbowed her with a grin. "Great idea Sakura-chan," he said, trying to fill the sudden silence.

The girl smiled and elbowed him back with a laugh. "Yeah, I thought so." She hardly missed a beat. There was no moment where she shook her head and broke herself from her reverie, just an instant smile and a sudden flair of that nervous energy.

"Naruto, do you feel like going out for dinner? I think Sai said there were a few people getting together tonight to try out that new restaurant…" She grinned and stood up, pulling Naruto with her. He opened his mouth to protest but Sakura was quicker. "I knew you'd love the idea!" she exclaimed and with that, both Sakura and her blonde teammate were out the door.

-----

A few people was an understatement. It seemed that every genin of Naruto's year and then some had gathered at the restaurant, enveloping the place with their raucous noise and chaotic mannerisms.

As Sakura and Naruto entered, there were various calls of both teens' names coming from all ends of the long table that spanned through the center of the room. Smiling, Naruto excused himself from Sakura, which was really unneeded seeing as she was already being pulled away by Ino, and sat himself down in the nearest chair.

Which, ironically enough, was between Hinata and Sai…

…and directly across from Sasuke.

Naruto smiled at his teammate, a slight flush dusting his cheeks.

This could be interesting.

"So, you ready for the mission tomorrow, Sasuke?" Naruto asked as Sai ordered him a drink and casually slung his arm around the blonde's shoulders.

Naruto smiled awkwardly at Sai and turned his attention back to Sasuke, who was absolutely fuming. It was one thing to i _know_ /i that Sasuke was jealous but to see that emotion in action was a whole new experience.

"Yes." He growled and took a sip of his water, slamming the glass back down on the table far harder than was necessary. A few people cast the boy scolding looks and continued on with their conversations.

"Careful now Sasuke, you wouldn't want to cause a scene would you?" Sai's grip on Naruto tightened and he pulled the boy closer, challenging Sasuke to do something.

"No, that's your department, _Sai_," Sasuke hissed, his eyes narrowing dangerously. His hands tightened on the glass and he leaned forward intensely.

"I suppose," Sai mused, "But at least I'm grateful enough to show appreciation from time to time." He side-glanced at Naruto, who was lost in a general feeling of 'what the hell' as did Sasuke. Both boys were staring at him expectantly, waiting for him to pick a side. The blonde raised his hands in a show of objectivity and shook his head, refusing to get involved.

Sasuke scowled at him and turned back to Sai, his lip curling into a frustrated sneer. "I don't need to flaunt myself to show that I care. I just prefer subtlety to-"

"More like you prefer to not show anything at all. You're chicken shit Sasuke and it's not just hurting-" Sai's voice rose in irritation and his arm all but fell from Naruto's shoulders as he became completely immersed in his argument with Sasuke.

"Wow, its hot in here, don't you think, Hinata?" Naruto suddenly exclaimed, worming his way out from under Sai's loosened grip.

"Uh…y-yes," Hinata stuttered, her eyes falling to the table under Naruto's boisterous confidence. Glad to be out of the conversation between Sasuke and Sai, who were both caught up in a silent glaring match, Naruto turned his complete attention to Hinata and those around her: Kiba, Shikamaru, and Chouji.

"How have you been anyway? It's been so long since we've talked." A glass was placed in front of Naruto, and he took a sip of the tea Sai had ordered him as he waited for Hinata's reply. He had to lean in very close to hear her answer above the noise around them. This only caused the usually anxious girl to become even more agitated.

"G-good." Hinata's eventual answer was short and the result of many stuttered syllables that could not be strung together to form any sort of phrase or word.

"That's good. I've been pretty bored lately. Doing guard duty and training's been the only things on my schedule," he indulged with a bright grin. Out of the corner of his eye, Naruto could see Sasuke watching him, face glinting possessively.

"You were on guard duty?" Kiba asked with an amused snort from his seat beside Hinata. "It's been years since I've had to do something that boring. You must be slipping Uzumaki," he taunted.

"Just wait until I'm your Hokage and you have to do everything I say," Naruto retorted, smarting from the insult. He glared at the dark-haired boy a moment before trying to find someone more civil to speak with.

Sai was a definite no because he would only egg Sasuke on. Sasuke was acting like a three-year-old, and as such was not an option. Chouji was eating. And Shikamaru…was staring off into space with his chin in his hand and a bored expression on his face…

"Oi, Shikamaru!" Naruto snapped his fingers as close to other boy's face as he could from across the table, and grinned when he had his attention. "You have any new leads on the other night?"

"Nah, nobody knows anything. You were the only person near the area from what I've been able to gather and you didn't feel the weird chakra." Shikamaru sighed and shrugged. "This case is way too troublesome for my liking."

"Yeah well, that weird chakra could be important," Naruto said, realizing just how imperative Shikamaru uncovering this case was. "So you'd better figure it out."

Shikamaru waved a hand dismissively, muttering, "Yeah yeah," and turned his attention to Sasuke, who had suddenly joined the conversation.

"What's this about weird chakra?" he asked, completely ignoring Naruto.

The blonde tensed and tried to keep the displeased scowl from his face. As if it was his fault that Sai was being all touchy feely and confrontational.

"The other night there was a burst near the West Wall. I'm surprised no one told you," Shikamaru told Sasuke, his eyes flicking to Naruto pointedly.

Sasuke glanced at Naruto as well, though his gaze didn't stray back to Shikamaru. "Hm, there was an odd chakra in my house this morning. One that was unidentifiable…"

Naruto tensed. He'd thought Sasuke was over that. Well, not over it, what had happened was unbelievably cruel, but Naruto didn't have a part in that. He knew about as much as Sasuke and that was it.

"Must be your imagination," Sai suddenly put in, his cheeks flushed and a hazy grin on his face as he turned to the blonde beside him. He fell onto Naruto and wrapped both arms around the boy in a sloppy hug. "You're so cuddly!" he cooed and nuzzled Naruto.

"Um…thanks." Naruto said as he looked to Shikamaru for help. The lazy ninja, as his nickname would suggest, merely snorted in amusement and shook his head, leaning back to watch with a smirk.

"Even without a penis I think you're cute," Sai continued, as if he were trying to make Naruto feel better about something that was wrong with him…

"Hey!" Naruto growled, trying to push Sai off. "Would you quit with the penis jokes. They stopped being funny before they started." Even with his focus on Sai, Naruto still managed to see the sudden smugness on Sasuke's face, which only caused him to roll his eyes.

"It's all right to admit to having a small penis, Naruto. Some people have ants and some people have elephants. But we're all special deep down." Sai grinned and pulled Naruto towards him, planting a warm peck on his cheek.

Naruto's eyes widened and he found himself scrabbling out of Sai's grasp. "What the hell?" he demanded as he fell onto Hinata.

The sound of a chair falling to the floor drew Naruto's attention. He looked just in time to see Sasuke's withering glare before the Uchiha stormed angrily out of the restaurant.

A sudden puff of breath had Naruto leaning even further into Hinata. "Sai!" he snapped and tried to push the boy away, but there was no moving him.

"Don't let anyone walk away from you the way they let you walk away from them," Sai whispered, and suddenly he was on the table, dancing over to sit next to Shikamaru, in Sasuke's empty spot.

He didn't look at Naruto until the blonde was standing from his seat and heading to the door. He dipped his head approvingly and then turned back to Shikamaru, his grin blooming deviously.

-----

The chill in the air caught Naruto by surprise and he found himself wrapping his arms tight around his body as he looked around quickly, trying to find Sasuke.

It wasn't that hard to do, seeing as the boy was standing against the wall a few steps away his head thrown back against the wall and a furious scowl on his face. He was breathing heavily and his hands were clenching and unclenching at his side.

"Sasuke, there you are." Naruto walked over to the other boy, smiling almost sadly as he caught the fear in the other boy's eyes. He stopped beside his friend and leaned against the wall as well. The ground was wet from an earlier rainfall and the smell of freshness was thick in the air. It was relieving.

"You don't need to be so jealous, you know," Naruto teased, elbowing Sasuke lightly. He chuckled and looked up to see Sasuke scowl at the joke.

"You're so fucking blind." Sasuke pushed away from the wall and began to walk away, his feet leading him to the alley just around the corner of the restaurant.

"That's what everyone keeps telling me," Naruto remarked with a smirk as he followed Sasuke, stopping just in front of him. "Only, I figured out you were jealous so I can't be that blind."

"It's not like I actually care." Sasuke said, suddenly apathetic - collected. It was amazing how little time it took for him to gather himself into that ball of blankness that nothing could get into.

"I think your jealousy is cute. Nobody's ever been that possessive of me before, except maybe Iruka." Naruto pretended the comment about not caring didn't hurt - didn't find its way into his biggest insecurity and take root, helping the blossom of doubt bloom into something so much more intimidating.

Sasuke stared at him blandly, not saying a word.

"You looked pretty possessive. Especially when Sai kissed me. I have to say, he's a better kisser than you were that one time we did kiss way back when," Naruto commented coolly, trying to hurt back. "And he only kissed me on the cheek." He hated hurting Sasuke but nothing else seemed to draw a reaction from the stoic boy.

Sasuke's breath hitched and his eyes twitched into thin black slits. "Good for him."

Naruto took a step forward, into Sasuke's personal space, and poked his chest. "That must make you even more jealous. Not only is he getting all my attention, but I like his kisses better."

It seemed that Sasuke wasn't impervious to everything because he drawled, "If he's getting all your attention, then why are you out here?"

That took Naruto off guard and he paused a moment to think. "Because, I figure someone has to give you attention when you're acting like an overgrown baby." He smirked, that sounded like something Sakura would have said to him had he done what Sasuke had just done.

"Can't you ever take anything seriously and not invalidate it?" Sasuke demanded, his words harsh, like tiny little knives.

"I don't do that-"

"Yes you do," Sasuke replied in his usual icy tone. "You can't take anything seriously. Everything has to be a big joke to you. If someone ever tried to tell you something important you'd just laugh it off."

"Well what do you expect? Do you want me to be all concerned about your jealousy? Do you want me to give you a hug? I'm sure that would go over well, you'd probably gut me or something. What am I supposed to do? " Naruto glared at Sasuke, trying to ignore the way he suddenly felt paranoid about whether or not Sasuke's words were backed by the truth.

"You're supposed to do this."

And before Naruto could blink and say, "What?" in a waspish tone as he had wanted to, he was pinned up against the wall by a very warm Sasuke, his mouth too caught up in other things to worry about voicing his scathing retort.

Caught completely off guard, Naruto found he had to shift - open his mouth wider - for the kiss to be anything special. Sasuke's hands were tangled in his hair and his mouth was urgent as it pressed into Naruto's. He bit the blonde's lower lip and gently tugged, his own lips curving up into a satisfied smirk.

Naruto could hear the smacking sounds and their frenzied breathing but he didn't seem to place the noises as coming from them. All he could think was that Sasuke was kissing him, in an alley no less and that…well… Sasuke was kissing him.

This certainly put a new spin on things, he thought as a tongue began to run along his lips, memorizing every bump and curve. Now Naruto doubted he would ever look at Sasuke the same way. Hell, he'd never looked at Sasuke like this to begin with. Ever.

But he could, he realized as his own hands slowly found their way from their surprised grip on the brunette's hips to his shoulder blades where they drew lazy little hearts and circles.

He smiled into the kiss and breathed out, his breath mingling with Sasuke's before he lunged forward again, pushing into the taller boy and desperately pulling him closer. This felt so nice. It was like waking up in the morning, refreshed and-

"Well this is interesting…" a lazy voice drawled from so far away.

And suddenly it wasn't so refreshing. Naruto pushed Sasuke away in synch with the other boy's surprised jump as they both turned to see Sai, Shikamaru, and Chouji staring at them with varying expressions.

Chouji looked utterly stunned, his eyes darting back and forth between the two boys, who were gasping for breath and trying to keep composed. Naruto felt his body jerk and tried to keep from doing something drastic, like running out of there as fast as he could. Why the hell had he just let Sasuke of all people kiss him?

Sai was smirking, his eyes drawn to Sasuke in approval and…smugness…as if he had been expecting this to happen…but… Naruto's eyes widened. Sai had been egging Sasuke on intentionally… He had known about Sasuke's feelings - providing that's what they were - and had decided to force the brunette into action. Naruto scowled at the boy and found that his self-satisfaction only increased.

He turned away from Sai's superiority and watched Shikamaru, who didn't look surprised. He instead looked thoughtful, like he was staring at a puzzle. His mouth was slightly opened in an unspoken 'oh' of comprehension.

He shifted, his head tilting slightly, and broke the suffocating silence by saying, "So Sasuke, I suppose this is why you came back?"

* * *

AN: So maybe this was kind of soon…only not really. And you will see why in the upcoming chapter, which hopefully won't take so long to write. Sorry team! I've spent the majority of my summer on tour, as I've mentioned numerous times, so writing just hasn't been an option. Anyways, you know the routine. Leave me some long constructive love because it completely validates what I'm doing and I will be sure to love back!


	6. Chapter VI

_Posted: Thursday, September 14, 2006_

**Disclaimer**: Do not own.

**Warnings**: Shounen ai, spoilers for anyone not keeping up with the manga, & AUish. Anything involving Akatsuki and bijuus after the timeskip is completely irrelevant to this story, and as such, never happened. Actually, this applies to everything after the timeskip except the part where Naruto, Sakura, and Sai meet up with Sasuke.

**General**: Takes place after chapter 308 for those of you that_are_ keeping up with the manga.

**Thank yous**: Wanda and Nox (betas) as well as everyone who has reviewed SF. Much love!

**Summary**: _The invisibility started with one silly wish upon a star. Good thing Sasuke's doormat personality, Sai's attempts at matchmaking, and a mission gone wrong were all quite normal in the life of Naruto Uzumaki... Wait. What? SasuNaru_

* * *

**Previously**:

"_Shikamaru shifted, his head tilting slightly, and broke the suffocating silence by saying, "So Sasuke, I suppose this is why you came back?""_

* * *

**Surface Flaws**

Chapter VI

"_And all the roads we have to walk are winding  
And all the lights that lead us there are blinding  
There are many things that I would like to say to you  
But I don't know how  
Because maybe  
You're gonna be the one that saves me  
And after all  
You're my wonderwall"_

_- Wonderwall (Oasis)_

"So, Sasuke, I suppose this is why you came back?"

Naruto's eyes widened and he turned to stare at Sasuke, not knowing how to feel. If he thought about it, Shikamaru's assumption made perfect sense. But that meant that this new dynamic to their relationship was not a new idea to Sasuke. This meant that the brunette had liked Naruto for some time now.

As badly as he wanted to, Naruto couldn't hide the shock from his face, even as Sasuke coloured and glared a thousand daggers at Shikamaru. His jaw was locked in a tense, unyielding frown, and his chin jutted out rebelliously.

"Don't make deductions with minimal evidence, Nara." Sasuke's piercing gaze darted to Naruto and somehow his expression became colder. The blonde raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He didn't want to say the wrong thing, potentially upsetting Sasuke - in front of Sai no less - especially after the day they had had. What with the photo of Itachi appearing and the fight that had led to the kiss.

And holy shit they'd kissed. A strange heat worked its way to his cheeks and he suddenly found the ground very interesting. For some strange reason, Naruto just couldn't fathom that he had just kissed Sasuke, or, more accurately, that Sasuke had kissed him. His lips wanted to twitch into a dumb smile, but didn't. If Shikamaru saw him smiling like a schoolgirl, he would realize that Naruto had liked the kiss.

…He had liked the kiss.

Naruto suddenly felt light-headed. He just wanted to sit down and absorb what had just happened. One minute he had been fighting with Sasuke, prepared to rip his head off for being such an indecisive, insensitive jerk, and the next he was pinned up against a wall and being ravaged.

Ravaged, he liked that word. Naruto didn't smirk, though he wanted to, as he thought of how appropriate the word was. The kiss certainly hadn't been gentle, he doubted any aspect of their friendship ever could be, but it hadn't been painful and savage either. It had been everything they were. Conflicted, rough, passionate, and grudgingly affectionate.

His lips twitched upward and Naruto pinched his leg, trying to pull himself out of his giddy thoughts. Sasuke had just kissed him and it had been wonderful. _He _had been wonderful. His back had been surprisingly muscular, more so than his deceivingly lean figure led on. And his lips had been so smooth; not chapped and dry, as Naruto knew his were.

The boy's breath hitched - a million embarrassed curses ran through his mind - and he brought his hand up to his lips with the pretence of scratching his chin, feeling the skin to see just how rough it was. If they were ever going to kiss again - Naruto didn't think about how badly he wanted to - he would need to make sure his lips were more like silk and less like a gravel road.

Suddenly, a hard shove to the shoulder sent Naruto flying into the wall beside him. He crashed into it with a surprised groan and looked around, dazed and unsure of what had just happened. Shikamaru was frowning, Chouji was still as lost as he had been the first time Naruto had looked at him, and Sai was staring at Naruto with pity.

He raised an eyebrow at the boy and turned to Sasuke with a questioning gaze. Only Sasuke wasn't where he had been five seconds ago. Naruto felt his stomach clench and pushed away from the wall. That fucking bastard had not just left…

He ignored that Chouji's expression had morphed into one of concern and turned around, hoping - no praying. But it was happening. He tried not to show the unbelievable disappointment and rejection he was feeling because he had actually _thought _for five seconds that Sasuke might care - actually fucking thought that that _bastard_might cared about Naruto just _half _as much as Naruto cared about him…

But there it was, just like every other time, Sasuke's back, emblazoned with the Uchiha fan, disappearing into the shadows.

"Where the fuck are you going?" Naruto demanded, not really giving a fuck that Shikamaru's gaze had hardened into a sympathetic frown of disapproval. He had never been able to see how Sasuke was worth it; then again, he'd never seen _Sasuke_. Not like Naruto had.

The blonde looked away from Shikamaru, his face hardening, and stared at his rival's back, channeling his betrayal into anger. It couldn't hurt him if he didn't let it - _Sasuke_ couldn't hurt him. "I said where the fuck are you going!"

And Sasuke kept walking. He didn't stop - didn't tense, didn't even fucking twitch a muscle. He just kept walking. Naruto growled under his breath and ran down the alley after the dark-haired boy. He had promised himself that he would never let the Uchiha go again.

"Hey, I'm talking to you!" He reached out, his hand grabbing Sasuke's shoulder to stop him. The other boy shook him off, and when he turned around to cast Naruto a quick glance, the blonde felt his breathing stop and a sudden paralyzing shock grip his body.

Sasuke's face was blank. Just like it had been when he'd returned, before Naruto had managed to somehow gain the other boy's trust again. That fucking bastard… Naruto took a step forward, his fist drawing back, and punched Sasuke so hard that he swore he could feel his knuckles crack. It didn't make him feel any better.

He felt nothing. Just this sudden consuming emptiness that he knew was loss and he just wanted to keep punching - _kissing_ - the Uchiha senseless.

Sasuke, who had been thrown to the ground by the impact, stood, spit out a mouthful of blood, and gave Naruto that same dull look before turning away without a word.

-----

Naruto wasn't that surprised when he woke up at noon the next morning to the sound of persistent knocking on his door. He was just extremely irritated because the last thing he wanted to do was face the world.

Fuck the mission; he just wanted to hide his head under his pillow and sleep. Sleeping didn't require thinking. But when the knocking didn't stop, Naruto grudgingly pulled himself from beneath his pillows, unraveled himself from his cocoon of blankets, and shuffled to the door like an old man, slumped and defeated.

What did surprise Naruto that morning was seeing the smiling face of Sai on the other side of the door. He pushed past the blonde boy, grinning wildly, and invited himself into the kitchen, where he began searching through the cupboards.

"You have any coffee?" he asked as he rummaged without any mind of the order everything had been in prior to his presence. The alphabetically stacked cups of ramen were being mixed up as Sai removed and replaced them distractedly. He was lucky that the owner of said cups was too tired to cause a scene over the growing disorder.

Naruto scratched his head and made his way to the kitchen as well, a confused but slightly more cheerful look on his face. "Uh, yeah. In there," he said, vaguely motioning Sai in the direction of the coffee and far away from his precious ramen cupboards.

"Good," Sai said in his usual chipper tone, "because you look like shit."

Naruto scowled and fell into a chair at the kitchen table. A part of him wanted to demand that Sai leave because there could only be one reason he had come, and Naruto _did not_ want to have to talk about that one reason. He remembered the look of pity all too clearly.

"Thanks a lot, asshole," he muttered, glowering at the table. He heard a satisfied 'ah' and looked up to see his coffee container in Sai's pale hands. Naruto let his head fall into his hands tiredly, grumbling, "That's just what I needed to hear this morning."

"Oh cheer up. Sasuke's just being difficult." Sai tutted as he placed the now located coffee tin on the counter and fell to the seat beside Naruto. He smiled sincerely and reached over to ruffle his companion's hair with a fond twinkle in his eyes.

The blonde gave Sai a dry look and batted his hand away. "Right. Difficult," he said, his tone thick with sarcasm.

He saw a flash of pity and closed his eyes as he bit his lip, just waiting for Sai to keep talking, because he was bound to. Sometimes Sai's attempts at being a friend just didn't help.

"Remember at that party when you asked me what I said to Sasuke and I made up some story about a bush?" Sai asked. Naruto blinked, and, after a moment, nodded apprehensively, wondering what the hell this had to do with anything.

"Well, I told him that he had better quit treating you like shit and appreciate how much you've given up for him…" Sai trailed away and stood, turning his attention to the task of making coffee.

Naruto straightened. "Did you say anything else? What did Sasuke say?" He was on the edge of his seat, watching intently as Sai measured out the coffee mix with a secretive smirk.

"I said a bit more; nothing important though." Sai shrugged and leaned against the counter, his arms crossed casually over his chest. When he turned to Naruto, there was a self-satisfied glint in his eye.

"But what did Sasuke say?" Naruto insisted. He tapped his hand on the table impatiently and gave Sai a persistent look.

There was silence from the two boys as they listened to the coffee pot begin to boil, in which Naruto swore he was going to go crazy with expectation, before Sai finally said, "That's not really my place to say."

"What?" Naruto growled. He didn't care that Sai looked truly apologetic or that the other boy was pouring him a cup of heavenly-smelling coffee. All he saw was that stupid glint of pity and…

He took a deep breath, unwilling to do something stupid, like punch Sai too, and crossed his arms over the table, laying his head on them with an exasperated groan.

"You'll find out eventually…" Sai tried, placing the cup in front of Naruto's hunched form and taking a seat - quite primly, in the blonde's opinion.

"You mean you won't tell me," Naruto amended, his lips tilting up minutely in a sardonic smile as he lifted his head. It would have been too much to ask to know how Sasuke really felt.

"Well, that too," Sai admitted and the blonde felt his spirits sink even further. "So how was the kiss?"

Naruto blinked at the question, not really sure where it had come from, and stared at his coffee, unsure of what to say. On one hand, it had been the best experience of his life and it had brought many questions to the forefront of his mind. Had he always liked Sasuke and just never known? Or was this just a sudden thought that he had never before entertained on a conscious or subconscious level.

But the look Sasuke had given him afterward… Naruto pulled his cup of coffee toward himself and sipped at it thoughtfully. He wanted to regret the kiss whenever he thought of Sasuke's face, cold and distant. He sighed.

"It was eye-opening," Naruto finally replied, his tone careful. He took another sip of his coffee, feeling the hot liquid sting down his throat. If Sasuke had never kissed him, he would never have had to look at Naruto with that dull, unrecognizing gaze.

Sai chuckled and leaned his chin in his hand, a lazy smile on his face. "You looked like you were in heaven afterward," he commented with a suggestive raise of his eyebrows.

A flush worked its way to Naruto's cheeks, unwarranted, and he swallowed. "I don't think it really matters how I felt." He tried to keep his voice steady and matter of fact, feeling more like a liar with every word. "Right now I just need to work on making things better with Sasuke."

He sighed. Part of him wanted to punch Sasuke five more times and a million times harder, but even more so, he wanted to see Sasuke's eyes full of life. For some strange reason, seeing that expression on the brunette's face had suddenly reawakened Naruto's strongest fear. It had been like he watching Sasuke leave all over again.

"I think you should let him come to you for a change. Stop letting him know just how obsessed you are." Sai brought his coffee to his lips, and gave Naruto a pointed look over the lip of the cup before drinking.

"I'm not obsessed with him," Naruto argued, his lip curling into a defensive sneer. He was just unable to think about anything other than how much harder it would be to bring Sasuke back a second time…

Sai reached over and patted Naruto's hand sympathetically, which gained him nothing more than a sour glare. Catching the point, Sai withdrew his hand with a sheepish grin, saying, "He cares about you Naruto; give him time to show you on his own terms."

A scowl quickly formed on the blonde's face as he thought of what Sai had just said. What the hell was he supposed to say to that?

Naruto swallowed and let out a frustrated puff of air. If Sasuke cared about him, he wouldn't be so damn fickle. If Sasuke cared about him, he wouldn't be constantly throwing Naruto's greatest fears at him.

If he cared, he wouldn't have walked away from something that he shouldn't have started without being absolutely positive. He wouldn't have suddenly planted this seed into Naruto's mind that perhaps he liked Sasuke, only to run in the other direction with a last minute 'just kidding'.

He would have kissed Naruto and smiled at him in that conflicted, rough, passionate, and grudgingly affectionate way. He would have maybe even kissed him again, and again until they were both sated and exhausted.

Naruto clenched his eyes shut, trying not to imagine how nice it would be to kiss Sasuke for _that_ long. It was useless and he knew it. Sasuke had made a mistake and, because he didn't care, Naruto was the one paying the price.

"He doesn't care," Naruto suddenly said; his was voice far too withdrawn and sad to be his own. "He probably never has."

And fuck, was he stupid for ever believing otherwise. Naruto hung his head and closed his eyes, cursing every stupid delusional thought he had had about Sasuke in those few moments between the kiss and that look.

Sai shifted and shook his head with an amused smirk, drawing Naruto's furious glare. "What's so funny?" he demanded, stung by the way Sai didn't seem to take him seriously.

"You're right," Sai conceded, "He came back because he wanted to get to know me, and he missed all the attention those silly girls gave him. It couldn't have been because his best friend had been there, willing to die before he let him go again and because he feels the same way." Sai snorted at the affronted expression on Naruto's face and shrugged. "Quit being stupid."

Naruto scowled and slammed his hand on the table. "I'm not being stupid! I'm being very real with you here and you're just throwing it back in my face and trying to make me look like an idiot."

_Invalidating how I feel._

Naruto flinched at the unspoken reference to Sasuke and slammed his forehead onto the table with a frustrated groan. He had to talk to Sasuke and he had to get this resolved or he was going to scream so loud that--

Fuck, his entire life revolved around the stupid Uchiha, and without him, Naruto was like a moon with no planet to orbit around.

And wasn't that tear-jerkingly poetic.

"Well, sit here and mope a while longer. While you're doing that, I'm going to make my exit." The sound of a chair scraping upon linoleum alerted Naruto that Sai was standing, and he lifted his head slightly, so he could see the other boy's feet. "Can you point in the direction of the back door?" Sai asked, his voice almost unnoticeably rushed. Almost.

Naruto pointed and let his head drop again. He was in no mood to care about why Sai seemed to be in such a hurry.

-----

As it turned out, Naruto perhaps should have paid some attention to Sai's urgency.

About two minutes after the former Roots member had left, there was more knocking on the blonde shinobi's door and, too lazy to move, Naruto irritably shouted, "The door's open. Show yourself in."

He wanted to tack an asshole on the end, but figured that he should refrain from doing so. If it were Iruka-sensei or Sakura, he'd receive a lecture about manners, which he was not in the mood for. Not that he was ever in the mood for a lecture.

Whoever it was entered silently, and closed the door with a click, then stood awkwardly in the entryway, judging by the quiet and shifting of clothing. Naruto sighed and raised his head from the table, groaning, "Do I have to give you step by step directions? I'm obviously in the kitchen. Couldn't you possibly trouble your lazy ass and come over…"

He trailed away when he finally laid eyes upon his visitor.

"Sasuke," he croaked; his voice weak, and scared, and everything he normally wasn't.

_Sasuke's hands…tangled…urgent … pressed … gently… satisfied._

He smiled feebly and stood up, moving forward and suddenly speaking without saying anything at all. "Oh. Sorry, I didn't know it was you. You here about the mission? … This is gonna be weird huh? A mission without Kakashi-sensei. Well, it won't be _that_ weird, I mean we've done guard duty together alone…" Naruto saw Sasuke shift awkwardly, face blank, and suddenly realized his slip. "Not that anything would happen when we're alone. I mean…"

He smiled and looked around anxiously. "You want some coffee?" he asked.

Sasuke stared, still completely blank, and stood firmly where he was in the doorway.

"Great. I just put a pot on, well _I _didn't, S- I mean… Sakura did because… uh… she was just over….yeah... Talking about the-- uh… mission! You know how she is. She said I looked like shit and needed coffee… I was too tired to argue so… Oh man, I just keep talking. I'll go get the coffee."

Naruto moved back into the kitchen and moved out of sight of the doorway.

Two shaking hands fell flat upon his counter and Naruto had to try so hard not to start crying. He didn't know why the fuck he felt like crying. This was not frustrating at all. Why would he be frustrated? It wasn't like he felt as if he were being pulled in deeper and deeper with every second, all the while losing more control over a situation that was already out of his control. This was Sasuke and everything was normal.

It was like Sai had said, Sasuke was just being difficult.

Naruto swallowed and clenched his eyes shut, refusing to watch the drop of water that landed on his hand. Tears were definitely _not_ forming in his eyes and he definitely _did not _want to run into the living room and be held by Sasuke while he cried. He didn't wonder what that would feel like. It had never crossed his mind. Ever.

Still hadn't, for that matter.

"Fuck," he whispered and pushed away from the counter. There was something in his eye so he dabbed at it, then wiped it. Then there was something in his other eye so he repeated the process before he went back into the living room after much sniffling and wiping.

He walked in with a grin on his face. There was a moment where both boys stared at each other awkwardly and Sasuke raised an eyebrow. Naruto blinked, confused and looked around, trying to think of something to break the awkward silence…

"Oh damnit, I forgot the coffee!" he exclaimed, suddenly realizing why Sasuke was looking at him with such a strange expression. He forced a laugh and smacked his head in good humor. "I'll just go get that and be-"

"Don't bother."

Naruto stopped. He didn't move or talk. He just stopped and stared at Sasuke, feeling the smile slip from his face without any command from his brain. He wanted to say, 'Oh, okay.' and invite Sasuke in to sit on the couch, but he couldn't.

_Hear… frenzied… breathing… place… think… kissing, in an alley._

Sasuke stared back. What was going through his mind was a complete mystery to Naruto, but he couldn't shake the feeling that the boy was looking right through him - seeing just how much Naruto wanted to kiss him again, to feel the incomparable warmth of his body.

"Listen, I came here to get one thing straight," Sasuke finally said, his voice monotone and nothing like the Sasuke Naruto was craving. "The kiss never happened."

_Spin… thought… run… lips… memorizing every bump… curve…doubt… the same way… Ever._

Naruto's face hardened instinctively, pushing away the way he was definitely not almost crying earlier, and replacing that feeling of inescapable sadness with anger so hot he felt his breath catch. He glared at Sasuke - _hard_ - because the bastard didn't care.

He didn't fucking care.

What the hell did Sai know anyway? He'd let Sasuke come to him, just as Sai had said. Naruto clenched his fists and swallowed, not screaming only because he didn't want to let anything out. If he did, he would probably kill Sasuke. He would probably do himself a favor for once in his life, a favor that he would never forgive.

After what seemed like an eternity of collecting himself and trying not to fall victim to his volcanic anger, Naruto finally ground out in as composed a voice as possible, "What kiss?"

And Sasuke stormed out, somehow just as angry as Naruto and Naruto fucking wanted to take a kunai and shove it into the back of his thick skull. _Obviously_, the Uchiha had every right to be angry. It was Naruto's fault.

As if.

That_fucking_ prick. Naruto stood still for about five seconds before he walked forward and punched his door so hard his fist went through it.

Sasuke, who was standing on the street before Naruto's house, saw nothing more than a cascade of splinters and a hole in the door. The fist sticking through it, dripping drops of clear blood, was invisible to him.

_Breath… lunged… pushing… desperately pulling him closer… _

_Waking into a nightmare._

-----

When Naruto arrived at the bridge that evening at dusk, he wasn't surprised to see Sasuke and Sakura standing, trapped in an uncomfortable conversation. Their silhouettes were harsh against the blinding orange light of the sunset - Naruto vaguely remembered seeing Sasuke white against a black sky and swallowed, unsettled. On the bridge, Sakura was leaning forward, her arm gesturing minutely.

She was speaking to a rather unresponsive Sasuke by the looks of things.

Naruto tensed and steeled himself, prepared for any number of outcomes, all of which were none too favorable. He was approximately thirty steps away from the duo, and with each stride, the bubble in his stomach grew, making him more and more uncomfortable. It was like wading into the ocean when you _know_ you can't swim.

If only he could really forget the kiss - if only _Sasuke _could forget it.

Sakura paused in her motions, and only then did Naruto notice Sasuke's gaze trained on him in a glare that was thick with loathing. Somehow, the fact that he was standing before a pink and purple-washed sky made Sasuke's expression even more intimidating. Naruto tried not to wince away from the look and instead scowled in response.

"Oi, sorry I'm late," he said when Sakura turned to look at him, her expression questioning and accusing all at the same time. She glanced back at Sasuke, who was still glowering, and raised an eyebrow.

"Did you two fight again?" Her tone was laced with exasperation that was none-too-subtle and she crossed her arms with a huff. It took three more steps before Naruto was beside her, trying to think of some way to talk both he and Sasuke out of this one.

There was complete silence - heavy, and suffocating, and fucking _exhausting_ - before Naruto finally heaved a weary, "Yes."

He wanted to keep talking, tell Sakura that this time he didn't think either of them would get over it - that Chouji would have to go on a diet before he could even _consider _forgiving Sasuke - but he stopped. Just clamped his mouth shot with a strained smile, and drew a deep breath through his nose - pretended Sasuke's body heat wasn't brushing against him and pulling him deeper into the warm blue waters he knew would drown him.

"You two need to learn to get along. I heard you fought at the restaurant, but Sai had told me afterward that you guys had patched it up." Sakura stopped to give them both a scolding gaze - neither boy responded - before pulling a manila folder from her bag, which was slung over her shoulder casually, with a sigh. "Not that you'd ever listen to me," she muttered as her fingers deftly retrieved three sheets from the envelope.

"That the mission outline the hag gave you?" Naruto asked as he jokingly pushed into Sakura's personal space and examined the top document. He pretended not to notice the way Sasuke suddenly tensed and shoved his hands in his pocket.

Sakura pushed him away with a light heave and rolled her eyes, groaning, "Yes, Naruto. Read it over and then give it back to me. We'll be good to leave after that." As she spoke, she thrust the top document at her blonde-haired companion and the second at Sasuke.

Naruto scowled as his eyes skimmed the paper. "What's this about you being the captain of the mission?" he demanded, pointing at the paper to emphasize his point. It didn't bother him that Sasuke remained completely silent and handed the paper back to Sakura with no derogatory comment.

There was an awkward pause before Sakura said, "If you were in charge of the mission we'd probably all end up dead. Easy or not."

And everyone knew that that was supposed to be Sasuke's line. But no one knew just how to say that.

Naruto harrumphed and shoved the paper back at Sakura, avoiding looking at his brunette teammate at all costs.

"So all we have to do is go to this village, Kito- whatever it is, and find out why all these strange murders have been happening?" Naruto asked.

Sakura's head tipped into a small nod and she began walking off the bridge, toward the forest. Sasuke glanced at Naruto, who was standing motionless, before turning to follow suit.

Naruto tensed and shook his head with a shudder then took off after the duo with a shouted, "Sakura!"

There was no way he could have just seen a streak of black and red in the trees in the distance, he told himself as he ran. It was merely his imagination.

-----

"Sakura…" Naruto said uncertainly as they all jumped from branch to branch, traveling as quickly as possible. He glanced over his shoulder warily. The woodland was completely silent; no birds, no squirrels - not even a breeze.

The girl shook her head and put a hand to her lips, falling beside Naruto and whispering, "Shh, I know. Both Sasuke and I feel it as well…"

"We're being followed." It was a statement. Naruto glanced over at Sasuke - he wasn't going to glare at the bastard - who's Sharingan was glowing a deep red and nodded in understanding.

The lump in his throat didn't dissipate when he swallowed; neither did the nervous tension he always got when he was anticipating a fight. There was no one in the forest except for them…and their trackers. He glanced at Sasuke from the corner of his eye, letting Sakura out of his sight, and tried to remember how natural fighting with him was.

The soft hum of something whirring through the air was the only the warning Naruto had before he heard Sakura's sudden - choked - scream. He turned quickly to where she was, only to see her body disappearing to the ground below. A sickening thump echoed in the silence and Naruto barely had a second to process the streaks and spatters of blood where she had just been--

Then he was dodging to the left, inches from being struck by a kunai, and meeting Sasuke's furious gaze with a look of shock.

'_Please… not Sakura…'_

* * *

AN: A short chapter? WHA! I must be outta my mind! Anyhoo, yes I know it's short - comparatively - but I think there's more than enough emotional content to make up for the length. Don't hate me people, there are still 9 more chapters for Sasuke and Naruto to possibly quit being little shits.

-TJ


	7. Chapter VII

_Posted: October 17, 2006_

**Disclaimer**: Do not own.

**Warnings**: Shounen ai, spoilers for anyone not keeping up with the manga, & AUish. Anything involving Akatsuki and bijuus after the timeskip is completely irrelevant to this story, and as such, never happened. Actually, this applies to everything after the timeskip except the part where Naruto, Sakura, and Sai meet up with Sasuke.

**General**: Takes place after chapter 308 for those of you that_are_ keeping up with the manga.

**Thank yous**: goheh-remix, vogueanthem, and Nox (betas) as well as everyone who has reviewed SF. Much love!

**Summary**: _The invisibility started with one silly wish upon a star. Good thing Sasuke's doormat personality, Sai's attempts at matchmaking, and a mission gone wrong were all quite normal in the life of Naruto Uzumaki... Wait. What? SasuNaru_

* * *

**Previously**:

"_The soft hum of something whirring through the air was the only the warning Naruto had before he heard Sakura's sudden - choked - scream. He turned quickly to where she was, only to see her body disappearing to the ground below. A sickening thump echoed in the silence and Naruto barely had a second to process the streaks and spatters of blood where she had just been-- _

_Then he was dodging to the left, inches from being struck by a kunai, and meeting Sasuke's furious gaze with a look of shock._

'_**Please… not Sakura…'**__"_

* * *

**Surface Flaws**

Chapter VII

_"__Go and hide and run away  
Run away, run and find something better  
Go and ride the sun away  
Run away like it's simple  
Like it's right... _

_Give me a day, Jamie  
Bring back the lies  
Hang them back on the wall  
Maybe I'd see  
How you could be  
So certain that we  
Had no chance at all"_

_- Still Hurting (The Last Five Years)_

Both Naruto and Sasuke dropped to the ground moments later, unable to miss Sakura's crumpled form lying small and fragile before them. Naruto gasped as he landed beside her; she was unconscious - most likely from the fall - and bleeding profusely from a wound to the side. Her lips were parted slightly as she struggled for air - gasping and clawing to breathe.

Both boys stood deathly still, staring at her and tried to think of what to do. Though neither would admit it, both Sasuke and Naruto were drowning in the irony that their medic had been the one injured. Without her advice, both were completely at a loss as to how they should handle the situation.

"Naruto, try to wake her up. I'll take care of these guys, there aren't that many." Sasuke's voice was loud and rough - like gravel - in the silence, and Naruto found that he could do nothing but nod as he collapsed to his knees in the sticky puddle of blood beside Sakura. She looked so pale and he didn't want to touch her for fear he would break her; but he had to. Eventually, a trembling hand reached out to shake her shoulder gently.

He had no idea what he was doing.

"Sakura?" His voice sounded so fucking weak; he wanted to curse himself for the way it caught in his throat and came out choked. She was so pale and there was so much blood. He put a hand to her forehead and smoothed her crinkled brow. "Wake up," he croaked urgently.

Naruto felt a shudder rush through his body and strained to turn and look at Sasuke, trying to find some comfort in his presence. The boy was standing, tense and alert, with a scowl on his face. Catching Naruto's gaze, he snapped, "Try to stop the blood flow and get her conscious."

The blonde winced at the harsh tone of his teammate's voice and pulled his bag from his back. He could feel the warmth of her blood soaking through his pants and drying in a startling red mess on his knees - it sickened him. Her clothing was ensanguined and Naruto wanted to kill whoever had done this to Sakura, but he needed to make her better first. So he reached inside his bag, groping around hurriedly until he found his water flask and bandages.

"I'm gonna wash your cut out; it's probably gonna hurt like a bitch," Naruto told Sakura's limp form as he unscrewed the cap. There was a grunt to his left and the boy looked up from ripping off his sleeve to see a man in all black fall out from behind a nearby tree.

Naruto soaked the sleeve and muttered a quick, "Fuck," before hastily pressing the compress to Sakura's bleeding side and wiping away the dirt that had sunk into the wound. The girl hissed out a breath and shifted, though she was otherwise unresponsive.

There was the ring of two kunai clashing and Naruto instinctively tensed. He shifted until Sasuke was in his view and saw the boy glaring rigidly at his opponent. Their enemy's eyes were wide with something like fear as he stumbled out of the Uchiha's reach.

"You…" he stammered, falling onto his bum and landing with an inelegant thump.

Sasuke glowered and stalked toward the man. "What?" he demanded, pulling the man to his feet by the collar of his shirt. Naruto raised an eyebrow; there couldn't be just two men… He closed his eyes and focused on the surrounding forest, listening - searching.

There it was, the breathing of another--

"Sasuke, watch out!" Naruto yelled, tensing and preparing to dive into action just as the dark-haired boy ducked, narrowly avoiding a kunai to the head.

Beneath Naruto's hand, Sakura shifted and he had to return his gaze to her, though he continued to watch Sasuke from the corner of his eye, gauging whether or not he was needed. There was a choked scream followed by the deafening thump of a body and Naruto instantly knew he wasn't.

He swallowed and steeled himself as one of the men suddenly spoke in a stifled voice. Hastily raising his gaze and completely taking in the scene, Naruto realized that Sasuke was choking the last of their adversaries.

"Your eyes."

Naruto gently pulled Sakura onto his lap; her head fell into his neck and her shoulders slumped, pulling her down.

"What about my eyes?" Sasuke's voice rang hard and impassive through the air and Naruto cringed, knowing that tone all too well. He awkwardly began to wrap the bandage around Sakura's slim torso - fastening her life. Blood was soaking through at far too quick a pace. He watched Sasuke and the man as he worked - ignored the bodies of their enemies surrounding them - and pulled the binding tight against Sakura's body.

"…" The man released loud and tired breaths as he grappled against Sasuke's grasp on him. Naruto continued to stare a moment, his gaze wary, then turned back to Sakura and tied off the dressing.

"You'll be okay," he whispered to her. She was so pale… Naruto put a hand around her head, pulling her close to his chest. Before them, the man in black let out a strangled cough as Sasuke's grip tightened and flexed around his throat.

"How the fuck would _you_ recognize the Sharingan?" Sasuke commanded quietly, dangerously so, and shook the man abusively. Naruto felt his gaze harden against his initial instinct to stop Sasuke. This man had been involved in Sakura's injury.

"Answer him," Naruto ordered from his spot on the ground, and both Sasuke and the man started, realizing his presence for the first time since they'd begun their fight.

"I'd rather die," the man spit out and glowered rebelliously at Sasuke.

Naruto snorted and tied off Sakura's bandage with deft fingers before gently laying her on the ground and turning an amused expression on the man. "That's not a very hard request to fill," he said slowly - viciously - despite the knot growing in his stomach at the thought of someone dying at his team's hands.

But this man had almost killed Sakura.

Almost.

"There's only one other man with these eyes," Sasuke hissed, his face pressed close to the man's and an ominous glint in the angry red of the Sharingan. "You've been in contact with Itachi…"

And before Naruto could blink and tell Sasuke to stop - fucking don't do it - a kunai was drawn across the man's throat and he was on the ground in a crumpled pile of red and black and red and black and…

Naruto felt sick.

"Why the fuck did you have to kill him?" he demanded venomously. He was trying to breathe but his chest felt so tight and everything just looked so vivid with life - and maybe he was overreacting but…

_Yamato's eyes widened as the sword left his body, drawing blood from it like a ribbon. The ballet of death. Red blood everywhere - red like Sasuke's eyes…_

Sasuke's eyes narrowed in superior annoyance and he made his way to the blonde's side, where he fell to his knees as well. "He deserved it," he said deprecatingly, placing a hand on Sakura's forehead. "She should be fine."

"Yeah, thanks to me." Naruto scowled at Sasuke and tried to blink away the hatred staining his vision because Sasuke should not have killed that man. A weight settled in his stomach and Naruto swallowed around the lump in his throat; Sasuke did a lot of things that he shouldn't have done…

…like going around kissing people without thinking of the consequences.

Naruto shook his head, trying to return to the present - to the _fight_ they'd just had, which was so much more important than any kiss. He was still sore about the kiss and it was affecting his judgment, he decided, trying to think of _anything_ but it. The flask of water on the ground caught his attention and Naruto tore his gaze from Sasuke rather dramatically and reached out for the bottle.

Warmth.

He stared at the hand covering his and tried to shake the dizzy feeling from his head. "I'm trying to put my stuff away so we can get the hell out of here when Sakura wakes up," Naruto snapped, pulling his hand free of Sasuke's and snatching up the flask. He pulled his bag onto his lap and deposited his flagon, not missing the hollow thump it made when it hit the ground through his bag - just like the hollow feeling he was trying to fill inside.

Fuck.

"She'll be asleep for a while," Sasuke commented in an all too familiar drawl and shifted closer to Naruto. Somehow, he managed to keep his gaze strictly on the pink-haired girl as he suddenly attacked his blonde teammate with the scent of salt and sweat and blood and anger and so many other things that Naruto _did not_ want to be smelling. The blonde tensed and tried to shuffle away, but he couldn't.

He didn't really want to.

"I think you're scared," Sasuke said, moving in closer - too close. He smiled at Naruto, his grin nothing but jagged white teeth and deceivingly delicate pink lips that lacked any sort of flaw.

Naruto snorted, though the noise sounded as it would have if he was still a prepubescent teen, and he blushed. "Scared of you? Don't kid yourself, bastard." The lump in his throat couldn't be swallowed away and Naruto wished that a breeze would pass through them because the proximity was stifling and all he really wanted was to take off his jacket because it was too fucking hot.

"Fine then, I won't."

And Naruto had the strange sensation that he'd been here before. He fell back to the ground with a thump as Sasuke lunged forward, lips latching onto his and pulling and biting and tugging and _asking_. The blonde shivered and tentatively pushed back, trying to think as his body exploded and nothing but soft blues and pinks and - _Sasuke - _filled his vision.

His hands grappled with the other boy's shoulders, trying to push him away and pull him closer simultaneously and he felt this unnerving need to be perfect - for Sasuke.

Then the boy on top of him moved to lightly kiss his jaw, before whispering a searing "Naruto" against his ear and-- suddenly it didn't feel so good and Naruto was pushing Sasuke away.

His face was flushed and hot and he felt like he wasn't in his body even though he could _feel_ the hand gripping his stomach and squeezing and shaking and--

"I suppose this one didn't happen either, bastard?" Naruto all but growled, livid; then he heard a shuffle and he glanced over to see nothing but the wide-eyed expression of shock and apprehension on Sakura's face.

Memories of all the times she'd been betrayed and forgotten ran through his mind and settled on one incident with chilling clarity.

"_Naruto, don't you dare go over there. I will __**not**__ lose you too…"_

And for some strange reason Sasuke's response instantly meant nothing because Naruto was sure he'd just hurt Sakura worse than any kunai ever could.

-----

_Naruto watched with horror as Sasuke's figure flashed towards Yamato and lunged. He tried to scream - to move - but Sakura's arm was around his waist, holding him in place. The blonde tried to break free of her grasp, but she wouldn't let up. _

"_Naruto," she whispered - broken - "Don't you dare go over there. I will__**not**__ lose you too…" _

_He wanted to keep fighting against her but he couldn't - and her words weren't what stopped him, though he liked to believe they were._

_Sasuke was drawing his sword from the ANBU's stomach. Yamato's eyes widened as the sword left his body - drawing blood from it like a ribbon. The ballet of death. Red blood everywhere - red like Sasuke's eyes._

_Naruto snarled and felt his chakra lash out, burning Sakura. The girl yelped and nearly released her grasp on his waist but something held her in place. _

"_He's gone," she murmured into his ear, her voice soft and soothing and torn and so quiet as Naruto watched Yamato's body fall to the ground with a deadened __**thump**__. A small cloud of dust rose around his corpse and his head lolled to the side, his wide-eyed expression staring Naruto in the face, somehow more alive than anything he'd ever seen._

"_No," he choked out and ripped Sakura's arms from him. "No, no, no. Captain, get up. We need to bring back Sasuke-teme - __**get up**__." He rushed forward, seeing only Yamato and was about to bend to shake the man awake - __**alive**__ - when he caught sight of Sasuke from the corner of his eye._

_Naruto stopped and tried to quell the urge to kill Sasuke because he'd come here to __**save**__ him. He would be damned if he didn't do this. _

_It took all the effort in the world for him to draw in just one breath and open his mouth to demand, "You're coming back with us. To Konoha."_

_Sasuke snorted at Naruto's tone and crossed his arms over his chest with a smug expression. "What's waiting for me in Konoha, Naruto? Everything I cared for there is dead," Sasuke challenged in a droll tone. His gaze had wandered to Yamato, becoming distant, and his jaw was clenched tightly. Naruto bristled and shook his head, determined to convince Sasuke to return. The other boy glanced up at the movement and raised an inquiring eyebrow._

"_**We're**__ not dead, Sasuke. Sakura and I are there - __**here**__ - and we're not going anywhere," he insisted and walked towards his wayward comrade until they were a hair width apart, breathing hot and harsh against each other's faces - daring the other to step back. Naruto knew that if Sasuke really wanted to kill him, this would be the moment, but somehow he put faith in the fact that the boy had left him alive once and would do so again. _

_Suddenly Sasuke's eyes lifted to a point over Naruto's shoulder, and the blonde turned slightly as well to see Sakura's face, her eyes wide with shock and apprehension. She was watching him closely - actually__**watching**__ - and he forced a strained smile. It was going to be okay. He __**was**__ going to bring Sasuke back._

"_I need to kill Itachi…" Sasuke suddenly said, and he sounded almost tentative, like he was making excuses and Naruto found himself 'tching' at the attempt._

_He shrugged his shoulders, face amused despite the severity of their situation, and remarked, "Itachi's after Kyuubi. Your best chance of ever seeing him would be when you're with me." _

_And Sasuke's eyes flickered for barely a second with… fear… and he stepped forward urgently, though the insistence was very well contained, and to stare Naruto in the eye. "You had better make coming back worth it."_

-----

Naruto stared at Sakura's face and then looked back to Sasuke, his expression simply oozing bitterness, despite the sudden panic fluttering wildly within his stomach like a flock of startled birds. '_Here's your __**worth it**__, bastard_,' he thought sourly.

Then Sakura shifted and Naruto was leaning towards her with wide concerned eyes and asking in a pressing voice, "Sakura, are you okay?" She nodded. "I mean do you think you can maybe move because I can carry you and redress your wound..."

"Naru--"

"…you don't think it's good enough. I mean I kind of did it in a hurry because we were…"

"Naruto…"

"…attack. You bled a lot too, so I don't think you should be moving. Besides, you wouldn't want to reopen…"

"Naruto, I'm fine," Sakura interrupted in a loud, stern voice and forced herself into a sitting position, wincing; her hand instantly grasped her side with delicate intent. There was the sound of labored panting as she fought down the pain and adjusted to the new position. Naruto tried not to look at Sasuke - tried not to even _think _about Sasuke because - fuck - Sakura knew.

Naruto paled.

Sakura… knew.

The pink-haired kunoichi finally composed herself with a heavy sigh and dared a confused glance at Naruto, then Sasuke. Her mouth opened and she drew in a breath - she was screaming in the silence with the need to speak - and then clamped it shut.

Her eyes clenched closed and Naruto wanted so badly to know what was going through her mind because he'd betrayed her. He'd kissed Sasuke and liked it. But she was supposed to kiss Sasuke - had been since forever - and Naruto just knew that he'd broken her heart even if she wasn't showing the hurt - even if she'd said once upon a time that she no longer loved him.

"Are you…" her voice was like a knife through the tension in the air and her eyes slowly opened, staring fixatedly upon the ground, "together?"

Naruto's head whipped to look at Sasuke and he felt anxiety bubble in his stomach - felt the rejection warm and acidic in his throat - and shook his head stubbornly. "Hell no!" he exclaimed - convinced himself.

They weren't together because the kiss had never happened.

Naruto glanced at Sasuke from the corner of his eye and saw the brunette's furious expression, and wanted so badly to hiss, "We aren't together because you're a fucking bastard."

But he kept his mouth shut so tight it hurt and turned back to Sakura who was watching them intensely and without reserve.

"All right then," she said slowly - suspiciously - and cautiously rose to her feet, her face clenching with the effort to keep from crying out in pain. "We should find herbs for my wounds."

Naruto jumped up and hooked his arm through hers. "Sasuke and I will do that but first we should set up camp here for the night," he suggested and pleaded with his eyes for her to sit back down. A huff of exasperation passed her lips but she acquiesced and gingerly lowered her body to the ground with Naruto's help.

"Fine."

And she didn't sound angry with him, and Naruto had no idea what to think or do because Sasuke was supposed to be _hers_. So he settled with beginning to pick through his bag, trying to figure out why she hadn't killed him for his betrayal yet and blocked out the world because… sometimes it was just too confusing.

-----

_Pain - ripping, searing, clawing, biting, tearing, spitting, burning - pain. Blinding, raging pain so powerful it paralyzed._

"_You don't get it." _

_Numbing pain - wet and hot and salty and frustrated beyond fucking belief because how could you not get something when no one told you what you don't get?_

"_What don't I get?" A wretched scream, ripping, searing, clawing, biting, tearing, spitting, burning - pain. _

"_It was __**always**__ worth it…"_

_And blackness like hate engulfed everything - dragging him under - through the lullabies of dreams never had and into something so much worse._

Naruto sat up with a gasp, his hands clamped to his stomach, clinging to the sweat-soaked fabric of his shirt. He inhaled deeply but the ripping pain in his belly continued to knock the breath from him and he slowly moved to his knees, then his feet, all the while fighting for air.

It felt like it took one-hundred years to do so, but Naruto finally made it to a standing position and stumbled from the tent, not daring to look back at Sasuke's sleeping form. He grappled the ground with his feet, fumbling to find his way in the impenetrable darkness and finally managed to find a tree, which he leaned against gingerly.

He didn't quite know how he had managed to get to the tree but he didn't quite care, because suddenly he was wrapping his arms around its cool trunk and leaning to the side and puking; the gags shook his body and he felt sweat fall from his face - wet and hot and salty.

Finally, he leaned back and slid down the tree, careful to be on the side opposite his puke, and let his head fall back in exhaustion because he couldn't go back to the tent when he knew he was going to be invisible in a matter of moments.

Naruto wearily lifted up his shirt despite the darkness and stared down at the glowing red design of the seal marring his stomach and felt sick all over again because it looked so weak and he was getting dizzy and the seal was shifting around and the world was shifting and--

_--blackness like hate engulfed everything - dragging him under - through the lullabies of dreams - never - had into something so much worse._

* * *

AN: eheheh ; Sorry for the long wait team!!! I love you guys to pieces. The first scene however would not write itself, and to be totally honest I'm still not satisfied with it. But I decided that I had to post so I hope you all managed to wade your way through that one horrid scene and come through to the end. Thanks for reading ♥  
-TJ 


	8. Chapter VIII

_Posted: March 3, 2007_

**Disclaimer**: Do not own.

**Warnings**: Shounen ai, spoilers for anyone not keeping up with the manga, & AUish. Anything involving Akatsuki and bijuus after the timeskip is completely irrelevant to this story, and as such, never happened. Actually, this applies to everything after the timeskip except the part where Naruto, Sakura, and Sai meet up with Sasuke.

**General**: Takes place after chapter 308 for those of you that_are_ keeping up with the manga.

**Thank yous**: goheh-remix and Nox (betas) as well as everyone who has reviewed SF. Much love!

**Summary**: _The invisibility started with one silly wish upon a star. Good thing Sasuke's doormat personality, Sai's attempts at matchmaking, and a mission gone wrong were all quite normal in the life of Naruto Uzumaki... Wait. What? SasuNaru_

* * *

**Previously:**

"_Naruto wearily lifted up his shirt despite the darkness and stared down at the glowing red design of the seal marring his stomach and felt sick all over again because it looked so weak and he was getting dizzy and the seal was shifting around and the world was shifting and--_

_**--blackness like hate engulfed everything - dragging him under - through the lullabies of dreams - never - had into something so much worse."**_

* * *

**Surface Flaws**

Chapter VIII

_Well if you told me you were drowning  
I would not lend a hand  
I've seen your face before my friend  
But I don't know if you know who I am  
Well I was there and I saw what you did  
I saw it with my own two eyes  
So you can wipe off that grin  
I know where you've been  
It's all been a pack of lies_

_- In The Air Tonight (Phil Collins)_

The world came into view for a brief second before blacking out again. Noise echoed around him and he had to strain to concentrate on any one train of discussion. Naruto groaned, his head rolling to the side as his hands reached out to bat the world away – turn off the sun.

He felt so content… minus the stinging kink in his neck, and the knot in his back, and the cramp in his thigh, and-- Well all right, he wasn't _content_ per se. He was just so tired that all his pains seemed inconsequential at the moment.

A foot nudged his leg gently and he yawned, kicked back absently - almost instinctively - before his mind floated into coherency.

The hum of sound ringing in his ears meant he should be invisible.

So why was someone kicking him…?

Naruto's eyes flew open and he started, drawing all his limbs close to his body as he caught sight of the pale white legs before him like two albino tree trunks.

Sasuke towered over him, staring down, his eyes unfocused, with a scrutinizing expression on his face. It was almost endearing. In fact, Naruto probably would have smiled at how confused Sasuke looked, had he any feelings other than hate for the asshole.

Smirking because Sasuke couldn't see him, Naruto stood, enlisting his ninja sneaky skills to keep as quiet as possible. Sasuke's eyes followed his movements, though his eyes weren't trained on Naruto's face. The blonde turned a bright red and followed Sasuke's gaze to see the boy was staring at his – his blush deepened – family jewels.

"Pervert!" Naruto yelled, his hands moving to cover his penis as his face adopted a look of scandal. "Fucking, asshole, bastard, lame, disgusting…pervert!"

As Naruto yelled his mind at Sasuke, he thought wistfully of how much more interesting the conversation would be could the other party actually _hear_ him. "Asshole," he muttered again dejectedly and considered kicking the boy for good measure. The dark-haired boy's deep red eyes were still locked onto Naruto's private parts, which unnerved him and made his stomach swell heatedly in a way that made him even more uncomfortable.

He thought of what Sasuke might do to him if he could really _see_ Naruto, and felt his cheeks heat. A small, miniscule, pretty much nonexistent part of him thought that Sasuke would kiss him. The fact that he wouldn't mind if that happened made him feel he was a pervert almost equal to Sasuke…who was still staring at his crotch with drawn eyebrows and a contemplative frown.

"I'm up here," Naruto grumbled darkly. He couldn't help remembering a lecture he'd received once on subconscious actions and people doing things instinctually. Shaking his head, Naruto started towards the tent to check on Sakura. _She_ was his priority. Unlike a certain bastard, she'd been there for Naruto when times had been at their toughest.

Sasuke's deep red gaze followed him as he walked and Naruto couldn't help but listen the boy's overly loud and confused thought. _'When I find Naruto he's going to have to do a lot of explaining.' _The thought seemed so apathetic, and Naruto couldn't help but turn around and snort at the Uchiha.

Sasuke's eyes were still trained on him as Naruto retorted, "When I return, I'm not saying a fucking word to you, let alone explaining myself."

-----

Sakura's tent had a distinctly flowery smell, Naruto noted as he crawled through the back flap to check on the girl. It was cool and the earth was soft and there was a pile of green blankets where Sakura was. Naruto's breath caught as he saw her lying on her back in her sleeping bag, one hand over her stomach protectively and a serene expression on her face.

Her thoughts whirled around the enclosed space, slow enough to register but too fast to understand. The boy sat next to her and swallowed, his eyes wincing against the emotion that was welling within them. He'd never been one to cry and he doubted he would start now, but… He thought of how faithful she'd been to him.

The sensation of his cheeks heating accompanied his prevailing emotion of guilt. "I'm sorry," he whispered to her and placed a hand on her forehead, pushing her hair from her face. "I'm your best friend. I shouldn't be hurting you. Not like this."

The soft thin strands of her hair ran through his fingers like sand. His hand slowly made its way to her cheek, which he cupped delicately as he told her, "I'll never care for him more than our friendship. I don't think I can. He's never been loyal to me like you have. I'd be a fool to give you up so I can take him away from you."

It felt so right telling this to her. The idea that perhaps she could almost hear him flitted through his mind and Naruto relaxed, his fingers caressing her cheek as he watched her with pain-filled eyes.

"I know you said you don't love him anymore… but the look on your face yesterday… You were heartbroken. You don't need to hide from me Sakura. 'Sides, I know you too well for that to work. Just like you know me too well…" He paused; contemplated what he'd just said and stared at her sleeping form. "I guess that means you know how badly I've fallen for him, huh?" The normally happy countenance that was Naruto's face crumpled and he ran his free hand through his hair wearily. "I'm so sorry."

It felt like a dream, but somehow Naruto thought he heard a wisp of a coherent thought in his mind and he couldn't help but cling to it.

'_I know.'_

-----

An hour later found Naruto finally rejoining Sakura and Sasuke as they made their way toward their destination. He felt weak and his body trembled from the exertion of becoming visible again. When he reappeared, Sakura's eyes narrowed with concern and Sasuke's just plain narrowed with distaste.

"Naruto," Sakura said, relieved, offering him a soft smile. It was pained.

The blonde forced his own smile and tried to quell the feeling of disgust welling within him. Of course she would be uncomfortable with him. He had kissed the boy she'd been in love with since forever. He had kissed her future and tried to take it away.

Sasuke stepped between the pair, his movements rigid and militant. "Where were you?" he demanded in a quiet voice. His eyes strayed to Sakura and the pair shared a look. The pink-haired kunoichi continued to look on edge.

"Scouting ahead, I felt something last night on the edge of the woods. Me and Sakura talked about it and thought I should check it out." His gaze levelled with Sasuke's and he felt his eyes narrowing defensively.

"Right," Sasuke snorted. He moved forward, ahead of Naruto and Sakura and began to walk at a faster pace than they'd been at originally. "Let's hurry up. We should be in the town by noon if we pick up our pace."

"Mhm," Sakura agreed tentatively, her eyes fixed on Naruto. They were spilling over with regretful emotions but when Naruto returned her gaze and opened his mouth to ask her what was wrong, she looked away sharply and moved forward to join Sasuke.

And once again, it was Naruto on his own.

-----

When the team had arrived in the town Sasuke had spoken of earlier, they'd stopped for a quick lunch, at which point Sakura excused herself from her teammates saying she needed to restock on herbs as well as supplies for the rest of the journey. The boys had taken this in stride and decided to make their way to a park where they could be alone and away from townspeople, who had seemed quite attuned to the tension between them.

They sat side by side beside a lake, staring away from each other. Naruto was trying not to dwell on Sakura's avoidance while ignoring Sasuke, who was staring at him intently.

The fact that Sasuke was at least watching his face came as nothing but a very small comfort.

"Would you look at me?" Sasuke suddenly said, exasperated. He was leaning forward, trying to put his face in Naruto's view, whose eyes remained fixated on the clear blue of the lake, which was still in the stagnant summer heat.

"Why? So you can attack me again?" Naruto countered, his voice laced with acidic hate. He still refused to look at Sasuke and ignored the strands of black hair permeating the corner of his vision. If it meant making Sakura happy, Naruto would remain miserable and fighting with Sasuke.

Sasuke snorted in that irritatingly superior way he had perfected at a young age and leaned away from Naruto. A cold aura surrounded the boy and he said in a surprisingly calm voice, "No. Because I know there's something wrong with you, and I need to know what it is exactly. We're a team. It's in our best interest that I know if one of my teammates is sick."

A cold hand of dissatisfaction grabbed Naruto. Sasuke only cared because it would help the team to function better. He clenched his jaw and turned a searing glare on Sasuke, tearing his gaze away from the cattails that stood still at the lake's edge.

"I'm fine," he ground out, pushing himself away from Sasuke to further the distance between them. He couldn't believe the nerve of the asshole. It was if he was trying to make Naruto think he noticed anything outside his own wants and needs. "Are you trying to act like you pay attention to what's going on with me? Because I have no idea where you got the stupid idea that I'm not ok from."

Their eyes held and Sasuke met Naruto's insinuations with an irritated shake of his head. "Quit being stupid," he said degradingly, "I saw you throw up last night, Naruto. People that are fine don't stumble out of their tents and throw up at the base of a tree." The stupid pervert almost looked smug, Naruto thought, as he stared at the boy – waiting.

"I had food poisoning," Naruto snapped in response rather quickly. Quicker than he thought he would, considering he'd just made the excuse up on the spot. "Quit pretending you know anything about me," he continued, his voice lashing out with the intent to hurt.

He needed to keep Sasuke at an arm's length because they couldn't get close again. It wasn't an option. Getting close would only degenerate into wanting, and Naruto couldn't want Sasuke no matter how badly he wished he could.

"If you can tell me why your chakra is leaking then I'll stop caring about how your secrecy is affecting our mission." Sasuke's voice was detached and professional as he delivered this blow to Naruto.

The blonde's eyes widened and he let out a shocked breath, as if he'd been kicked in the stomach. "What?" he said, his voice urgent and weak and spiteful at the same time. Sasuke had to be making that up. His chakra wasn't leaking. It couldn't be.

"I noticed this morning when I was looking for you," Sasuke said using the same tone in which he delivered verbal reports to Tsunade – bland and indifferent. "You're chakra was being drawn from a point that continued to move, a point that had the outline of a body…" His tone was incriminating.

"What colour was it?" Naruto demanded urgently, ignoring the implication of the way Sasuke spoke. His hand had moved to the seal instinctively when Sasuke had mentioned it being drawn from a certain point and he felt a bubbling sickness crawling up his throat.

"Red."

"Not good," Naruto murmured to himself as he thought about this. First he was becoming invisible, and now his chakra was leaking? The boy swallowed nervously and scoured his mind for some piece of information that he had previously overlooked that could help him piece this degenerating situation together.

"I know that you were the embodied chakra, Naruto," Sasuke said simply, as if he weren't accusing Naruto of keeping some huge piece of information from him.

Naruto tensed, his gaze snapping to Sasuke. "You don't know anything, bastard," Naruto growled defensively. His chakra flared angrily and he clenched his hands around a handful of grass – tried not to react to those deep obsidian eyes that were set in a look of impassivity.

"Then why are you acting so guilty?" Sasuke wanted to know. He leaned forward, his expression hungry for confrontation and starving for contact with Naruto, whether it be a punch to the face or a mind-staggering kiss.

"Tell my why you fucking care so much, Sasuke. Because the only thing I've gotten from this conversation is that you don't give a shit about me – only the team. I don't owe you anything, bastard." Naruto was blowing this out of proportion, he knew he was, but Sasuke was too close.

The blonde shuddered inwardly. He wouldn't let Sasuke know. He wouldn't allow the other boy to look at him with pity and disappointment.

"What about Sakura?" Sasuke retorted, his lips curling up into a lazy smirk. "She's part of this team too. I know she knows. Maybe she wouldn't have gotten hurt if you'd told me what was going--"

Naruto's fist had connected with Sasuke's face before the boy had even finished his statement and Naruto was standing over him - panting and furious. Chakra surrounded him in a lashing wave of contempt.

"Don't you dare fucking bring her into this," Naruto growled, his voice barely above a whisper. It couldn't be his fault that she'd been hurt. Not like that. It was because he hadn't been paying enough attention. Nothing would have changed if he'd told Sasuke…

"—broke her heart yesterday, Naruto. She's in love and you're too stupid too notice. Too caught up in your obsession with me."

Naruto looked down at Sasuke, his eyes wide with terror as his foot reared back in preparation to kick the boy. His foot collided with Sasuke's head with a sickening sound and Sasuke swore, rising to stand and face Naruto, blood trickling from his ear. "What? Am I being too truthful for you?" He dodged a punch from Naruto and struck the boy in the stomach with his knee. His arm reached over the blonde's body, which had curled up instinctively against the pain, and brought his elbow down on Naruto's back, knocking the boy to the ground in a whirl of black spots.

"Shut up," Naruto hissed, his voice laced with pain as he forced himself to stand and aim another punch at Sasuke. This time when the boy dodged, he was ready and his other hand came around, catching the Uchiha's other cheek with a sharp blow.

Sasuke stumbled to the side, his hand grabbing his face. Somehow he still managed to look so superior. Like he was so much better than Naruto without trying. And this did nothing but infuriate the blonde further.

"You're a horrible friend, Naruto - letting her down like that. She doesn't deserve it."

The blond ninja was sorely tempted to tell Sasuke that he didn't deserve the devotion he received from Naruto either, but he decided drawing his kunai across the boy's throat would be a better alternative.

He was seeing nothing but red. Pain and red - a red so blinding and blood-like it stung. He curled around himself and felt Kyuubi's presence growing stronger.

"Don't cheat," Sasuke chided, his hand whipping out to palm Naruto in the face as he flashed into the boy's mind the same way he had on _that_ day.

Kyuubi's retreat was reluctant and took Naruto's breath away as the boy struggled against the fox's anger and sudden disappearance.

"Get the hell out of my mind!" Naruto roared and dove at Sasuke, who stopped him with a well-aimed kick.

It was just as Naruto was preparing to create a thousand kage bunshins and kick Sasuke's ass into next Wednesday that Sakura's horrified shriek wound its way into the fight and pulled them apart like Kakashi's arms had so many times.

"What are you two doing?" she as she ran towards them, her eyes livid and wide with terror. "Trying to kill each other?"

It took every ounce of strength he had, for Naruto to remain standing and not crumple under the waves of disappointment she was radiating and trying to crush him with.

"Sakura-chan…" Naruto started, only to stop, at a loss for words. The girl glared at him. Only her gaze was so much worse than a glare. It was like she was more than disappointed. It was as if she had lost all faith in him.

"Do either of you have an explanation that can even i begin /i to account for your mindless irresponsibility?" she asked in a deathly quiet cold voice.

When neither boy answered she turned away from them and began walking away, saying over her shoulder, "Then we'd better be leaving before you idiots attract any more unwanted attention."

That was the first time in a long time Sakura had insulted Naruto and meant it.

-----

The few days walk to the next town passed with neither Sasuke nor Naruto speaking, and Sakura treating them both with nothing more than distant civility. The night after they had made it to their hotel in the town and Sasuke was fast asleep, Naruto snuck out of his room and made his way to Sakura's silently. He knocked on her door quietly with two raps and waited, listening to the bustling within the space.

The door eventually opened to reveal a tiny room with beige walls and a single bed ordained in a light blue sheet. There was a matching blue armchair as well. Above the bed hung a large painting of a boat in the middle of the ocean where a young girl stood on its deck, staring out at the observer with a forlorn expression. The girl looked so much like Sakura that Naruto had to avert his eyes.

"Sakura," he said in a soft, apologetic tone when he saw her hard expression. She moved aside, nodding her head in acknowledgement.

"I'm assuming Sasuke's asleep?" She looked at him expectantly as he made his way into the room, not needing to remove his shoes because he hadn't worn any.

Naruto nodded and made his way to the armchair and was about to sit when Sakura said in a tone that was sharper than normal, "You can sit on the bed; I was in the chair." Her eyes moved to the pack beside the chair. "I was double-checking our supplies," she clarified distantly. The blonde glanced up - helpless under her disappointment - and felt his head bob in a lifeless nod as he sat on the bed. Of course she hadn't been in it yet, the blankets hadn't been touched.

When Sakura had seated herself in the chair, she turned to look at Naruto expectantly, her face openly telling him she had no idea why he'd come and that she wasn't exactly happy about his appearance. Her green eyes were narrowed like knives that kept piercing their way through Naruto, making him feel increasingly horrible by the second.

He shifted awkwardly and began rolling the hem of his nightshirt between his fingers nervously. "I need some advice," he told her quietly – weakly.

"About what?" Sakura's tone had softened minutely at the vulnerability in his voice, but her anger still vibrated through his skull, making him well aware that he'd screwed up. Perhaps irreversibly.

"_You're a horrible friend, Naruto - letting her down like that."_

Naruto swallowed and wondered how he was supposed to tell her that he was losing chakra by the second and had been for some time. His grasp on his shirt tightened until he was white-knuckled, and he clenched his jaw until he thought it was going to break. "The seal's leaking chakra," he eventually said unevenly.

And it felt like the walls Sakura had erected all collapsed at once because she was leaning forward – placing a hand on his shoulder – and peering into his eyes with an intense expression of sadness.

There was no shock or denial as Naruto had expected there to be, and it struck him that perhaps Sasuke had already told her.

"You know," he observed. He felt so frail from the day's experiences. Like he was a piece of paper constantly being crumpled then restored until he barely resembled the clean sheet he had started as.

"I'm sorry," she said as if the apology would do nothing to take away the pain. And maybe she was right. Her apology didn't seem to raise his spirits any or make him feel safer. Actually, he felt more torn, like the only person who could save him had just told him there was no hope.

"You shouldn't be." He placed his hand on hers, the one on his shoulder and smiled at her weakly. "I'm the one who keeps making everything more complicated than it should be."

Sakura shook her head vehemently – against his words saying, "No, Naruto. It's not your fault." Her face was close - too close - and Naruto felt himself leaning away instinctively as she continued. "You just keep getting caught up in situations beyond your control."

Her hand flipped under his and her fingers twined through his – pulled his hand down as her free hand latched onto his other.

"Sakura…?"

"Shh," she whispered and gently pressed her lips to his. Her mouth moved lightly against his - tentatively - as if she was scared to break him and Naruto felt his entire being screaming against this and pulling away. It didn't feel right. Not like when Sasuke kissed him.

He leaned back and she moved with him, taking the movement as a hint that they should lay on the bed.

'No,' he wanted to say – but he couldn't because hadn't he let Sasuke kiss him? If he turned her away then how much more would he hurt her?

She placed his hands on her hips which were soft and feminine, not strong and firm and muscular like he felt when he held Sasuke. She was straddling him and he felt the pressing need to get away strengthen.

And suddenly bile formed in his throat and there were footsteps in the hall - angry and loud. Naruto shook his head, and began to burn, his skin on fire as everything began to glow red.

He was being pulled in so many directions. Pressed into a flat disc and then stretched as far as was humanly possible. And all the while he was standing in the middle, puking his guts out and trying to tell everything to stop so he could get his life into perspective.

But the world didn't work like that. It didn't stop simply because someone asked it too. And Sakura was calling his name and Sasuke was yelling at them through the door, his voice urgent and angry and worried. And then his shirt was being lifted and he heard a terrified yelp as something icy cold touched his stomach.

"You're burning." The voice was slow and groggy. It echoed and sounded deep and vast, like a canyon would sound. Debilitating and almost surreal.

"The seal…movi…re…guring…Naru…on't…"

He wanted to say something but there was no way he could speak without breaking her heart because there was only one person he wanted helping him.

And that was impossible.

-----

_Words so familiar they had become the foundation of his subconscious rambled on repeat. Sometimes loud. Sometimes quiet. Always desperate. Naruto tried to ask what they meant but he was always met with the same response, "You never understand."_

_He watched as Sasuke came running towards him, his eyes gleaming possessively. "I told you as many times as I can and you never understand!" he growled in frustration. "It was i always /i worth it."_

_Naruto, feeling the frustration flowing through Sasuke to him, yelled back, "I don't know what the fuck you're talking about!" He moved towards Sasuke but the other boy stepped back saying, "You'll have to choose," in a dark tone. "Don't screw it up."_

_Sakura stepped out of the shadows and smiled at him innocently. "Don't screw it up."_

_And suddenly Sai appeared, his fake grin crinkling his familiar eyes into thin slits of mock joy. "Don't screw it up. I showed you the way. Now it's up to you."_

"_It was always worth it."_

"_Don't hurt me anymore."_

"_Make the right choice."_

_And everything melded together until he was hearing nothing but a cacophony of voices as he stood in the center of a giant screaming match between everyone he knew and had ever known. Itachi's red eyes gleamed impassively. The Fourth smiled at him with a fond twinkle in his eye. Konohamaru ran towards him and poked him playful before dashing back into the crowd, his cackling laugh soaring above all the other shouts and whispers and calls._

"_Naruto…"_

"_No!"_

"_Naruto."_

"_Stop! Shut up!" He stumbled away and into the waiting arms of Orochimaru who hissed at him so loudly he might as well have roared._

"_Naruto!"_

"_I don't get it!"_

_And everything went silent except for Sasuke's quiet voice, which was brimming with urgency._

"_Remember… it was always worth it."_

-----

When Naruto woke up he could hear his name being called gently as a hand shook his shoulder. He snorted and pushed the hand away, sitting up and yawning in exhaustion. He opened his eyes and found himself staring at Sakura who was looking passed him.

'_Naruto?'_ she thought, her voice soft amid the thoughts of all the other tenants of the hotel that were within hearing range. Naruto realized that when dreaming, people's thoughts were much more rapid and incoherent.

"I can hear you," he responded though it didn't quite matter because she couldn't hear him. He poked her arm, making the touch as impersonal as impossible, though he refused to acknowledge why he was doing so.

'_Can you hear me?'_ There was a pause and then Sakura laughed, '_I guess that's a stupid question seeing as you can't respond. I can feel you poking me though.'_

'—_could be dead and she won't let fucking let me in.' _Naruto recognized Sasuke's thoughts and stiffened, hearing the uncharacteristic anger towards Sakura in the boy's thoughts.

'_Sasuke's knocking on the door, I'm going to let him in. Poke me if that's all right.'_ Sakura continued staring blankly at where she seemed to think Naruto was and twitched slightly when the boy poked her again.

She stood and made her way to the door and all Naruto could think was that he could never love her like that – no matter how hard he tried.

Sasuke's thoughts suddenly shifted and quieted a bit and Naruto knew Sakura had opened the door. For some strange reason he suddenly felt the urge to calm the boy down because he was still livid. Naruto could hear Sakura thinking of excuses as to why Sasuke couldn't come in and he could hear Sasuke's mounting rage. His eyes wandered to the doorway and he saw Sasuke glaring at his female teammate with disgust.

A soft tug began pulling at his stomach and Naruto felt himself stiffen with dread.

'_He's not okay…he's not okay. Why can't they both stop lying to me. I'm not stupid. Fuck, he's not okay. His chakra is draining faster… I need to get in.'_

'_Naruto, Sasuke isn't letting up.'_ And her thoughts suddenly became nothing more than thoughts and Naruto felt like he really shouldn't be listening. _'Please just leave. I hate lying to you but it's for your own good. Leave. Please… You're not good for hi…Naruto can hear my thoughts. Leave Sasuke. Leave.' _She sounded so angry. Like he was trying to get in her way.

She sounded the same way she had when they had been children and she felt Naruto was threatening her claim on Sasuke…

Naruto listened and watched as everything in the doorway deteriorated. He could see Sasuke staring past Sakura at the bed, his eyes glued to Naruto's stomach – not his private area. Slowly, Naruto crawled to the side, rolling off the bed so he was hidden behind it and out of Sasuke's sight.

The Uchiha's thoughts grew more livid and he began sounding almost violent. Naruto coughed and tried to fight off the coming visibility because he suspected that would throw Sasuke over the edge. The boy was sounding too worried.

Naruto began to feel himself being pulled through a tiny hole in the world and as he did he was able to hear both Sasuke and Sakura's thoughts and words. Everything blended into a one. An overwhelming knowledge of what the world was.

And when he came through to the other side, Naruto was all too aware of a pained yelp and the sound of body hitting the floor with a dull thud.

* * *

A/N – All right so for everyone that's all OMFGWTFBBQSAKURA! She is in no way competition. This is just another aspect of the plot. No need to worry. I'm rather fond of her despite the fact that I keep getting her beat up.

Anyway, I'm ridiculously sorry for the long wait. However, I'd like to reiterate that I'm going to be back to updating once a month now that my life has pretty much been restored to normal. Also: OMFG 7 CHAPTERS LEFT MORE THAN HALF WAY DONE!!!!  
-TJ


	9. Chapter IX

_Posted: March 14, 2007_

**Disclaimer**: Do not own.

**Warnings**: Shounen ai, spoilers for anyone not keeping up with the manga, & AUish. Anything involving Akatsuki and bijuus after the timeskip is completely irrelevant to this story, and as such, never happened. Actually, this applies to everything after the timeskip except the part where Naruto, Sakura, and Sai meet up with Sasuke.

**General**: Takes place after chapter 308 for those of you that_are_ keeping up with the manga.

**Thank yous**: goheh-remix and Nox (betas) as well as everyone who has reviewed SF. Much love!

**Summary**: _The invisibility started with one silly wish upon a star. Good thing Sasuke's doormat personality, Sai's attempts at matchmaking, and a mission gone wrong were all quite normal in the life of Naruto Uzumaki... Wait. What? SasuNaru_

* * *

**Previously:**

_"And when he came through to the other side, Naruto was all too aware of a pained yelp and the sound of body hitting the floor with a dull thud."_

* * *

**Surface Flaws**

Chapter IX

_"Coz I'm under the weather  
Just like the world_  
_And I need somebody to hold_  
_When I turn out the light_  
_You're out of sight_  
_Although I know that I'm not alone_  
_Feels like home"_

_- Under the Weather (KT Tunstall)_

The way his limbs shook, the way his stomach churned, the way his shirt had become soaked through with sweat – none of that mattered as Naruto pushed himself up from hiding behind the bed and… froze.

There was Sasuke, rigid and already prepared for a fight, standing above Sakura's unconscious form. A light circle of red showed through her shirt. Her face was scrunched in pain and her breathing was quick. There was a sense of morbidity in the way she lay. Her body looking as if it had been laid out.

Her hands were around her stomach carefully and her head fell to the side, enshrouded in a wash of pink. Long thin legs crooked at the knees and her skirt managed to cover her thighs, preserving her modesty in a way that seemed almost planned.

Striking Sasuke with his searing gaze, Naruto waited. He would give the boy one second to try to explain how Sakura had ended up on the floor unconscious and bleeding. One second only.

Sasuke opened his mouth, about to say something – jump to his own defence – then stopped and glared at Naruto because he didn't need to explain himself to anyone.

'_Second's up, bastard,'_ Naruto thought savagely as the dark-haired boy opened his mouth again; he stormed over to Sasuke, every step brisk and silent upon the carpeted floor. Through his eyes, he saw nothing but red. Red hatred, red blood, red fury, a streaming red need for vengeance...

Naruto clenched his jaw _tight_ and stepped into Sasuke's space, staring up into the dark eyes that didn't care.

He could feel the heat emanating from the other's body and it did nothing to console him, rather it fanned the flames of his anger, unleashing something almost primal in the blonde. He grabbed the front of Sasuke's shirt in a jerky movement he hadn't planned, and drew his fist back, prepared to send the arrogant, asshole into next week - but he stopped.

He wanted so badly to hear an excuse. He _needed_ to hear an excuse. Maybe he just wanted Sasuke to admit it was because he had been worried for Naruto, and he couldn't help himself from removing the only obstacle between him and his goal. However, this didn't mean he wasn't still ready to rip the bastard's throat out.

"What the hell, Sasuke?" he demanded in a quiet snarl, his face inches away from the other's – eyes livid, teeth bared, nose crinkled in disgust.

He looked down at Sakura - crumpled and red and pained. "Just…what the hell?" His voice rose and he pushed against the other boy's chest, sending him into the wall with a deadened thump.

It wasn't enough. There had been no pain.

No deafening crash.

He pushed the bastard again, this time hard enough that the picture above the bed fell to the floor and shattered.

Impassive black eyes stared down at him. Enveloped him in their lack of existence.

"She's injured! Look at her?" Naruto's palm slammed into Sasuke's chest hard enough to bruise and he felt like his jaw was going to crack. "You _fucking bastard_. She's bleeding! _Fuck_!" He growled low in his chest with a deathly sneer on his face. Before him, Sasuke's expression bloomed into a scowl of irritation and he blinked at Naruto, uncaring. He looked awkward, pressed so tightly against the wall, Naruto thought absently.

But it wasn't enough.

"What the _hell_ were you thinking?" The blonde's voice broke off in a strangled roar and he placed his hands on the beige wall, one on either side of Sasuke - pressed so close to the boy he spit on him when he spoke. "You _know_ that she's injured… Fuck- You_saw_ her go down. You saw all the blood. You _know_-- Fucking bastard. Fucking _absolute_ bastard!"

Naruto pushed away from the wall and stalked in a small circle, pacing to work down his anger. His hands clenched and unclenched at his sides, his nails clawing into the palm of his hand relentlessly. He felt that the action was wasted on himself – Sasuke's face would have been a much more preferable target.

And then he stopped pacing and looked at Sasuke – suddenly remembered a speech he'd heard from the boy earlier that day - and asked viciously, "What about the team Sasuke? Huh? How does _this_-" he gestured towards Sakura with an uncontrolled flail of his arm "-help the team? I can't believe you!" he spit and turned away, kneeling beside the girl and staring at her helplessly, because he couldn't very well remove her dressing and reapply a new one.

He sighed, trying to stop the shudders of anger that were pulsing through his body. It would do him no good to rip Sasuke a new ass hole and claw his eyes out. He needed the boy in one piece for the mission – regardless of how badly he thought the Uchiha deserved to be severely injured.

"Feel better then?" Sasuke's drawl sounded too loud in the tiny room. It sounded like a taunt – and Naruto knew it was – and he couldn't help but turn around and rise to the bait – eye Sasuke as the boy watched him warily, still pressed against the wall of his own accord.

"No I don't feel better!" he snapped, pushing Sasuke so the boy's back bumped against the wall again. "Because my _best friend_," he saw Sasuke flinch at the declaration and hoped it hurt the boy as badly as he had intended it to, "is unconscious and bleeding and in a hell of a lot of pain. I wouldn't expect you to understand what it's like to care about someone. I mean, with a fuck up like your brother as a role mode--" Naruto paused, eyes widened at what he'd just said and he snapped his mouth shut, eyes still steely.

"Finish that sentence," Sasuke spat, voice hard and dripping with intent.

"I don't answer to you, Sasuke," Naruto hissed, crossing his arms over his chest. The fear for Sakura bubbled and his anger at Sasuke wouldn't fade. Maybe it was because he was disappointed that Sasuke still didn't care about anything but his own goals and motives, which he supposed he was now one of. Another of Sasuke's fucking goals.

Naruto stopped that train of thought – brought a halt to the sudden pain in his chest before it could really start – and looked at Sasuke with vicious expectation. He deserved an answer.

Sasuke took a step towards his blonde teammate – away from the wall – and hissed, "No, you don't answer to anyone, do you Naruto? Even if you're probably _dying_. You'll still lock out the only person that has any ability to possibly help you because _you don't answer to anyone_."

"I'm not dying," Naruto snorted, turning his head away from the intense gaze Sasuke had fixed upon him. "Get out of my space," he added darkly, pushing Sasuke away – ignoring his own hypocrisy, for he had just been invading Sasuke's space mere minutes ago.

There was a pulse in his stomach and the blonde stumbled slightly, falling into his dark-eyed comrade.

"You're almost at the point where you have no chakra left to lose," Sasuke commented, his suddenly red eyes meeting Naruto's solemnly - furiously. "So would you quit being a stubborn idiot and tell me what's going on?"

Naruto bit his lip and stepped away from Sasuke – glared at him and swallowed around the fear in his throat. "Nothing's wrong," he told the other boy weakly, and turned back to Sakura. Lowering himself to the ground, he added, "'Sides, I still have tons of chakra, bastard," in a low mumble.

Now seated beside the girl, Naruto reached out a hand and pushed her hair from her face, his eyes trapped in the pale complexion that betrayed her blood loss. His anger started to rise again and he pulled his hand away, eyes turning to the carpet he was sitting.

"I have a theory as to what might be happening," Sasuke said in a cool voice as he sat down beside Naruto, leaning comfortably against the wall.

"Don't wanna hear it," Naruto mumbled, moving away from Sasuke a bit. He didn't like the clean smell the other boy released. It felt so familiar – like home – and that scared Naruto. He was too young to find home, never mind the fact that he was finding it in the person he probably trusted least in the world to not break his heart. Not that he could be heart broken, he thought, sitting up straighter.

Sasuke glanced at him from the corner of his eye with a dry look. "You're going to risk your life because you have too much pride to let me know what's going on?" he asked; his tone sceptical and kind of like the Sasuke that Naruto had grown comfortable with over the last three months.

"Would you stop?" Naruto sighed. His exhaustion from the change between invisibility and visibility was catching up with him and he didn't know if he could fend off Sasuke's insisting questions. The blonde turned his attention to Sasuke and saw that the other boy was staring at the wall before him unwaveringly. His jaw was set resolutely.

"Remember telling me that you were my best bet at finding Itachi?" Sasuke asked, his voice small but somehow filling the entire room.

Naruto didn't look over at his companion, but instead focused entirely on Sakura. "Yeah."

All the while his mind was screaming for Sasuke to stop - an overwhelming chorus of _'No no no no no no no…'_

There was a pause and Naruto looked to see Sasuke's face breaking into a frown. "I can feel him," he said, voice completely blank. The blonde ninja felt a spark of pity for Sasuke. He was trying so hard to be apathetic in the face of this, and his expression was relaying his every thought.

"That's your theory," Naruto assumed aloud. He could taste the worry thick on his tongue as he spoke, coating his words and tainting his tone. He looked at Sasuke, his eyes squinting to keep the terror from showing on his face.

"Yeah."

"Well maybe it's just a coincidence, because there's nothing really wrong with m-"

"Oh would you shut up?" Sasuke sighed, his voice clipped both with aggravation and exhaustion. He leaned into the wall and let his head fell back against it with a hollow sound; his face closed off. "If Itachi's really after you like you say, Naruto, then your best bet at surviving whatever it is he's doing to you is me."

"And why would that be?" Naruto demanded, taking Sakura's hand in his own because even unconscious, she was a sturdy support line for him. The delicate form of her hand was soft and small. Not calloused, or rough, with big strong finge-- And Naruto wasn't actually comparing their hands…

"I've spent the last three years training so I could kill him." Sasuke's eyes flicked to Naruto and Sakura's joined hands and he tensed. "Do you have to do that?" he asked annoyed.

Looking at Sasuke and jumping at the chance to avoid the awkward conversation that had almost arisen, Naruto allowed a small smirk to his face and said with little hesitation, "Jealous?"

"Not really," Sasuke replied just as easily. He noticed that Naruto dropped Sakura's hand and his lips lifted minutely. "I know competition when I see it."

"Oh stuff it," Naruto said with a playful scowl, "You were pretty intimidated by Sai. 'Sides, what makes you think I actually want you?"

And how they were talking about this so civilly was beyond Naruto.

"I just know these things… And you undress me with your eyes so often it's almost embarrassing."

Naruto blushed. This just had to be some weird quirk to their relationship. They could fight and joke about the same subject from one minute to the next.

"And I'm always disappointed with what I see," Naruto retorted.

Next thing he knew they would probably be making jokes about Orochimaru and his obsession with ass bows.

Sasuke snorted. "That's because you haven't seen the real thing…yet."

Naruto briefly wondered if Sasuke ever thought of those silly ass bows as ass pretzels too…

"I'd probably puke at its grossness or laugh at the Uchiha bloodline's 'legacy'," Naruto informed Sasuke with a smug grin.

Although he supposed that was probably unlikely considering how far the proverbial stick up Sasuke's ass was wedged.

"You are immature like that, aren't you?"

Naruto stopped his train of thought so he could turn all his attention to glaring at Sasuke. "I don't get you," he informed the Uchiha.

"I wouldn't expect you to," Sasuke said in automatic response. He was staring back at Naruto, who wanted to ask the bastard why he couldn't just make up his mind. He wanted to scream, 'Do you want me or not?' But he couldn't. Not now. Not ever.

Sasuke would have to choose without any outside help.

"I know you don't," Naruto said quietly. "I guess I just feel like I should… I always used to…" He couldn't finish that thought because it was too close talking about Sasuke leaving. Naruto swallowed with some difficulty, his throat suddenly constricted.

A light sigh sounded beside Naruto – lost and helpless. "I don't anymore either," he said quietly, refusing to look at Naruto, who was now openly staring at him with a sympathetic expression.

At a loss for words, Naruto leaned into Sasuke and wrapped his arms around the boy, giving him a loose hug. "We'll get there eventually," he promised before pulling away and sitting back to watch Sakura.

It didn't strike Naruto that he'd just made a promise that completely conflicted with his previous one. There was no way he could help Sasuke find himself without growing closer to the boy. But as Naruto didn't realize these contradictory promises, he simply grabbed Sasuke's hand and gave it a comforting squeeze, eyes fixed on Sakura.

-----

When Sakura's eyes flickered open, Naruto and Sasuke were both sitting in silence, watching her with sober expressions. She let out a small breath and turned her head to the side slightly, taking in the scene. "Naruto," she said, smiling gently at the boy ad began to sit up as delicately as possible. "You're okay?" she asked, careful to keep her gaze away from Sasuke.

She winced, a hiss of breath passing through her clenched jaw, and felt her side with tender fingers. Then her eyes met Naruto's, urging him to answer her question. Telling him she was fine.

"Yeah," he said. The boy felt his gut wrench and he leaned forward, putting his hand on her shoulder comfortingly. "The fall reopened the wound," he told her, gesturing to the pink-haired kunoichi's side with a nod of his head.

Beside him, waves of tension rolled off Sasuke and Naruto couldn't help but look at him. As he did, he felt Sakura stiffen under his hand.

"Naruto," Sakura said, unnerving the blonde with the way she stared at Sasuke while addressing him, "Could you leave?"

"What?" The boy removed his hand from her shoulder and frowned, turning to look at Sasuke, questioningly. The Uchiha was meeting Sakura's stare, even as he nodded and said, "Go."

A sense of discomfort washed over Naruto and he slowly stood, his gaze flicking between the pair in concern. "Yeah, all right… I'll go pack my stuff so we can get out of here as quickly as possible and keep going." He paused, his hand on the door handle – waiting for someone to ask him why he needed to pack when all he had with him was his backpack, which was always packed anyway – No one said anything. "It's only about two days' journey to there from here, right?"

When Sasuke said, "Yes Naruto," in an irritated tone without looking at the boy, he knew they weren't going to relent. So, without looking back, he left.

If they wanted to rip each other to shreds that desperately, that was their business.

----

Twenty minutes later, the trio exited the hotel, each silent and lost in themselves. Naruto found himself standing between his teammates, who both kept glancing absently in the other's direction. Their movements were anxious and jerky. Each step was accompanied with a flit of the eyes or a nervous frown.

Naruto wondered if they both thought he was too stupid to notice or if they were simply too caught up in fretting about whatever they'd talked about to realize they were acting so oddly.

When they'd reached the edge of the town, Naruto found himself just as wound up as them. He kept seeing flickers of black in the corner of his vision. But every time he looked, there was nothing there.

Sighing, the boy picked up the pace, starting off ahead of Sakura and Sasuke because he swore if Sasuke glanced in his direction with that stupid worried expression or if Sakura twisted the front of her shirt between her fingers and bit her lip, eyes locked on him just _one more time_ he was going to punch something. And he couldn't promise it wouldn't be one of them.

Though he admitted, snidely, he'd punch Sasuke first – _he_ wasn't injured.

It wasn't until they'd made their way deep into the forest that Sakura and Sasuke caught up to him, calling out for him to stop.

"Something wrong?" Naruto asked, turning back on himself and meeting up with the pair in a small clearing, where they'd both ceased their steps – refused to follow him further. Sakura's face was concerned and she stepped closer to Naruto, visibly swallowing.

"Naruto, I need to see the seal," she told him - _ordered_ him. Her eyes were pleading for him to not put up a fight. But her behaviour, matched with the strange look in Sasuke's eyes, put Naruto on edge and the blonde took a step back – increased the blessed distance between him and her weirdness.

"Uh…why?"

Sasuke frowned and gave Naruto a dry look, as if he'd expected such a question but said nothing. Naruto noted that Sharingan was activated and turned back to Sakura, wondering what the hell they were up to. The sentiment showed clear on his face.

"Naruto, we're worried about you." Sakura stopped and bit her lip, glancing at Sasuke, pleading with him to back her up. The dark-haired boy shrugged as if to say, 'just force him to show us'.

The looks… her nervousness… Naruto paled, his gaze bolting and locking onto Sasuke as he realized Sakura must have told him. The boy was watching him impassively. There was no respect in his gaze. It was so blank.

Just like when he'd come back.

Naruto felt his breathing quicken and he tried to replace his fear with anger. He _had_ to.

Turning back to Sakura, Naruto all but snarled, "You told him?"

The reaction he got wasn't one he expected. Sakura furrowed her brow in confusion and looked at him incredulously. "You think I would go behind your back?" she asked softly. Her voice was laced with pity and the blonde felt his anger rising. He felt trapped with both Sakura and Sasuke standing before him urging him to show them the seal.

"I thought you were _okay_, Naruto," Sasuke said, his voice somehow vacant and accusing at the same time.

Naruto flinched. "Would you _shut up_?" he growled, turning to glare at Sasuke. "I don't know what the hell is going on right now with you two, and I'm not going to bother trying to figure it out." He turned to leave but paused as a flash of black flitted along the edge of the clearing. It was during this moment of distraction that Sakura and Sasuke lunged forward in unison.

Sakura pulled both his arms behind his back in one quick movement with her right arm then lifted up his shirt with the other. Sasuke stood before him, tense and ready in case Naruto decided to knock her away, even though they both knew he wouldn't. Sakura was too physically strong to throw off and she was injured. Naruto was far too noble to take advantage of that.

"Fuck. You," he spat at Sasuke as the boy reached forward to touch the seal with his finger. The touch was light and impersonal. Purely experimental.

"You're chakra's being drawn in the direction we're headed," Sasuke informed the reluctantly passive boy, his eyes following a line that was invisible to both Sakura and Naruto.

"Do you know any seals you could place on top of the existing one to lock in the draining chakra or perhaps slow down the rate at which it's being drained?" Sakura asked from behind Naruto. He frowned at the suggestion and shook his head 'no' to Sasuke, his expression ominous.

"Don't you dare," he warned in a throaty growl.

It seemed Naruto wasn't that threatening because just as soon as the words had finished grating their way through his clenched jaw, Sasuke's palm was securely placed over the mark on the boy's navel. "I know of one that may work," Sasuke said to Sakura as he began creating the secondary seal – completely ignoring Naruto.

Naruto's eyes bugged and he began to squirm. "This is _my_ body! You can't put a seal on it without my permission!" He was tempted to scream at the Uchiha about how this was an outrage, but then he felt bile rise up to his throat and a familiar dizzy feeling passing through his body.

"No, no, no, no," he suddenly said in a breath of anxiety. His struggling began to increase until he was flailing against Sakura – needing to get away – nobility be damned.

As he fought, his breath began to catch and hold in his lungs, only releasing when he thought he was going to die from lack of air. His face heated and stretched – felt like someone was tugging his hair so hard it was pulling his skin, and he groaned softly in pain.

This shouldn't be happening, Naruto thought desperately, grinding his teeth together as he fought against the pull at his navel – willed himself to stay exactly as he was.

Suddenly, Sakura let out a tiny cry of pain and released his arm. She came around beside him and Naruto could see a bright red welt on her hand where she'd been holding him. A burn.

He should run, he thought, but there was another tug on his body and he felt his stomach throb in resistance.

Sasuke pulled his hand away too, flinching and staring at the bubbles and welts that began rising from his skin. "Naruto," he said in a tight voice, "What's happening?" His eyes were bright with terror and he reached out a hand to touch Naruto again, but Sakura slapped it away.

"Don't touch him, he'll only burn you more," she told Sasuke, though her voice sounded muted and far away. Naruto felt himself flicker into invisibility and cursed.

'_Naruto… oh fuck what the hell is wrong with you? Why won't you let me help you?'_ A loud demand echoed through his mind and suddenly became an enraged yell of, "What is going on, Sakura?"

"Sasu--"

Sakura's voice cut into thought and Naruto nearly keeled over and puked in his state of invisibility. His legs trembled beneath him as he was once again tugged back into visibility.

"Just fucking te--"

The world hazed red and as Naruto's head wearily turned to the side, he saw two glowing scarlet eyes watching him from the brush. They were surrounded by nothing but black, but Naruto knew what they were -_whose_ they were. He shuddered and was pulled back into visibility again.

This was too much; he could feel his body breaking under the strain. His bones creaked with tension and blood pounded in his head so loudly he thought he might go deaf.

He was visible for a second.

"I can't. I made a promi--"

"Naruto!"

And then he was gone, still staring at the brush. But the eyes were gone too – had disappeared in his brief encounter with normality and remained away when he returned to their world.

Pulling back into visibility one last time, Naruto fell forward. He felt a strong pair of arms catch him and hold him tight as his eyes slid shut.

"Naruto?" Sasuke's voice was soft and worried. Naruto sighed and buried his head into the boy's chest, feeling his eyes tearing up under the exhaustion.

He had seen Itachi.

"Are you okay, Naruto?" that same terrified voice inquired.

And he couldn't tell Sasuke because there were too many loose ends…

"I'm sorry," Naruto whispered and fell into the blissful oblivion of unconsciousness.

AN: YEY!!! Look at that, two chapters in under a month BITCHES!!!! Boo ya! Okay, that said, thanks for all the support on the last chapter. It means oodles and caboodles to me!!! I love you all! Anyways, I love reviews almost as much as I love writing this monster of a story, so please, feel free (wink wink) Thnx!  
-TJ


	10. Chapter X

_Posted: April 4, 2007_

**Disclaimer**: Do not own.

**Warnings**: Shounen ai, spoilers for anyone not keeping up with the manga, & AUish. Anything involving Akatsuki and bijuus after the timeskip is completely irrelevant to this story, and as such, never happened. Actually, this applies to everything after the timeskip except the part where Naruto, Sakura, and Sai meet up with Sasuke.

**General**: Takes place after chapter 308 for those of you that_are_ keeping up with the manga.

**Thank yous**: goheh-remix and Nox (betas) as well as everyone who has reviewed SF. Much love!

**Summary**: _The invisibility started with one silly wish upon a star. Good thing Sasuke's doormat personality, Sai's attempts at matchmaking, and a mission gone wrong were all quite normal in the life of Naruto Uzumaki... Wait. What? SasuNaru_

* * *

**Previously**:

_"He had seen Itachi._

"_Are you okay, Naruto?" that same terrified voice inquired._

_And he couldn't tell Sasuke because there were too many loose ends…_

"_I'm sorry," Naruto whispered and fell into the blissful oblivion of unconsciousness_."

* * *

**Surface Flaws**

Chapter X

_  
"Spend all your time waiting for that second chance  
For the break that will make it OK  
There's always some reason to feel not good enough  
And it's hard at the end of the day  
I need some distraction or a beautiful release  
Memories seep from my veins  
Let me be empty and weightless and maybe  
I'll find some peace tonight"_

- In The Arms Of The Angel (Sarah McLaughlan)

Naruto stood back and watched through half-lidded eyes as Sakura and Sasuke checked into the hotel they would be staying at during their stint in the small town. According to the mission outline, they would be uncovering the cause for the growing number of homicides taking place in the normally quiet settlement.

The small space of the lobby was cramped with an excess of furniture, Naruto thought as his eyes sluggishly roamed over the room. There was an undersized burgundy sofa against the wall adjacent the door – across from the counter where Sakura and Sasuke were taking their sweet time checking in - and a square table the colour of dog crap before that. Naruto yawned behind his hand as he glanced slowly at the potted plant beside him. It was nearly dead. A real pick-me-up in an otherwise dull room…

All right, Naruto couldn't deny that the screen placed pretty much in the middle of the floor was aesthetically pleasing. The phoenix portrayed in a worn gold paint in front of a striking red sun added a flair of culture to the otherwise stale room. Not that Naruto knew anything about home décor. Anyone that had ever stepped foot inside his apartment could attest to that.

"Ready?" Sasuke asked, drawing Naruto's attention. Shaking his head and focusing his weary gaze on Sasuke, the blonde nodded and pushed himself away from the wall with a heavy exhale of breath.

"Yeah," he replied around a yawn, his voice thick and weighted, even to his own ears.

His limbs felt heavy and he stumbled frequently during the walk to their room as they travelled the perimeter of the building. He refused any assistance from Sasuke.

His pride was already wounded enough as it was.

When they reached the room, Naruto dropped his pack onto the nearest bed unceremoniously before following it with a weary flop. Sasuke didn't say a word and simply watched the display with a calculating gaze.

Somehow sensing that he was the object of the other boy's attention, Naruto lifted his head to glance at Sasuke, muttering, "What?"

Sasuke's eyes widened minutely and his lips parted, as if he were about to say something, but he stopped himself short with a noncommittal shrug. "I'm going to go check out the area. Just stay here and rest."

"Hey!" Naruto exclaimed, sitting up suddenly, though the movement sent his vision into a sudden disorienting twirl. Grabbing his head, the boy ground out, "I can come too, Sasuke-teme." His voice was clipped and defensive.

If Sasuke was aggravated by Naruto's tone and word choice, he didn't let on. Opening the door and moving to leave, he glanced over his shoulder, saying, "Sakura's going to stop by and see if your condition is doing any better."

And before Naruto could go off into a mindless rant about how there _was no_ condition, the door was closed - effectively stopping the words on the boy's tongue.

"Fine, then asshole," Naruto snapped at the door, as if by some chance Sasuke would be able to hear him griping. Flopping back into the bed's thick sheets, Naruto let out an exhausted groan.

He had to admit, he was surprised Sasuke hadn't drilled him yet on his 'disappearing act' the other day. It was obvious that the Uchiha had been mulling over it, if his extensive silence – which pretty much equated to muteness – was any indication.

Not that Naruto minded, of course. The longer it took Sasuke to confront him, the longer he would have to come up with an excuse more fitting than, 'I've been learning magic tricks from Ero-sennin'.

The boy chuckled slightly at this, his eyes crinkling in mirth at the idea of Ero-sennin knowing how to become invisible. The lecher would probably exploit the talent and find uses for it even Naruto's mind couldn't dream up.

"Pervert," Naruto mumbled lightly, as he rolled onto his side and buried his head into the thick soft blankets, which were a sharp burgundy with creamy yellow accents. Letting out a long breath that left him boneless with relaxation, the boy began to drift off to sleep.

That was until a soft knock sounded on his door.

Groaning in irritation, Naruto called out, "What?" in his whiniest, most pathetic voice. Nestling his head further into his blankets, the boy refused to look up when the door opened. Judging by the tentative footsteps and the gentle way the door clicked shut, he deduced that his visitor had to be Sakura.

"Ah, Naruto, I didn't think you would be sleeping." The girl's apologetic voice sounded excessively loud in the quiet room.

"S'no problem," Naruto mumbled into the blankets as he felt the bed dip beneath her weight.

"I just wanted to see how you're feeling."

Naruto rolled his eyes – which Sakura couldn't see – and shrugged his shoulders. "M'fine."

The boy felt a hand on his shoulder and heaved a sigh of exasperation as Sakura pressed, "No dizziness? Nausea? Headaches?"

"Nothin' unusual," he insisted, his voice gaining volume in his irritation. Pulling his head out of the blankets to look at Sakura, the blonde put on a giant grin. "I'm fine, really," he assured her.

Letting her own lips curl into a relieved smile, Sakura grabbed Naruto's hand and pulled him into a sitting position beside her, saying, "I'm really sorry about what happened, with us forcing you, Naruto."

Her smile dropped, and yet her hand still lingered in his.

"Do you use lotion lots?" Naruto asked, trying to evade the topic he knew Sakura was trying to get at. "You must, considering how soft your hands are! They're like a baby's bottom… not that I've ever felt up a baby or anything!" the boy rushed to amend. "That would be just…ew."

"Um…thanks," Sakura laughed, squeezing Naruto's hand and gifting him with a big smile. Her eyes twinkled brightly with merriment as she adjusted her fingers until they were weaved through his. There was a dark blush on her cheeks as she said, "Your hands feel nice too…"

Eyes widening to comical proportions, Naruto stared at Sakura in shock, stuttering as he rushed to tell her, "Oh, um… Sakura…" he broke away into silence, pulling his hand away from hers as he fought to find the right words. Instead he let out a weary yawn.

A flash of hurt crossed Sakura's features at the obvious rejection and she decided to move to safer – by her standards – topics. "You and Sasuke haven't talked yet, have you?"

Naruto snorted. "Way to get to the point," he joked, grinning widely at the girl to show her that the sarcasm was meant as a joke, not an insult. When her serious gaze didn't falter, the boy heaved a reluctant breath. "Nah, he hasn't brought it up. And I'm sure as hell not going to."

The girl sighed at this, but didn't object. Instead she moved to her next question. "Do you know what you're going to tell him?" Sakura wanted to know, "Because I think you should just tell him everything." More softly, she added, "He deserves to know."

"Why? So he can have another reason to make fun of me and call me weak?" Naruto demanded with a snort. "'Sides, things are getting… more high risk," the boy continued, carefully choosing his words.

Inwardly, he enjoyed a moment of amusement at the thought. High risk was one way of putting Itachi's sudden appearance. Remembering his last experience with the man, Naruto preferred to think of the situation as plain old dangerous as hell. None of this 'high risk' business.

Not that he would allow Sakura to be privy to those thoughts…

"Oh?" the girl offered, tilting her head and raising her eyebrows in a genuine show of interest. She gestured at Naruto kindly, urging him to continue.

"Yeah, I saw something the other day, when I – uh – well, you know," Naruto stumbled over his explanation, not quite sure what to refer to the incident two days ago as, "Well, more like _someone_," he amended.

"And?" Sakura prompted, her face darkening slightly as she realized she probably wasn't going to like this new development, or what it entailed.

"I saw Itachi," Naruto explained in one breath, refusing to meet Sakura's eye. He had a feeling the girl wouldn't be surprised, per se, but nonetheless, he was reluctant to _see_ her reaction when he would be _hearing_ it first hand.

When there was no outburst or sudden lecture about reporting such developments sooner, Naruto couldn't help but chance a glance at his female teammate, who was frowning thoughtfully.

"Ah," was all she said when she realized she was expected to say something.

It was Naruto's turn to be caught up in curiosity. "What're you thinking?" he asked, leaning forward so that his face was in front of hers. His expression was so innocent and childish that Sakura couldn't help the small smile that tugged at her lips.

Pushing him away with a giggle she said, "Oh, nothing in particular – more like a lot of things. It's odd that you would see him… particularly when Sasuke and I had no idea of his presence…" A pause. Then, "Then again I suppose we were rather preoccupied trying to get and keep information from each other."

Naruto frowned at the final statement and nudged Sakura playfully. "Thanks for not telling him," he said quietly, assuring her of his sincerity with a soft smile.

"Don't thank me," Sakura said, suddenly grinning widely, "Thank this friend I have. He's always going on about how he never breaks his promises – which by the way, he never does, the perfect little brat – he's rubbed off on me."

Laughing, Naruto said, "Aw, don't call him a brat. I bet he's the coolest guy ever!"

"Mm, he's a huge annoyance," she corrected, trying not to laugh as well at the affronted expression on Naruto's face.

"I am not annoying!" he exclaimed, grabbing his pillow and whacking her over the head with it.

Unable to contain her laughter anymore, Sakura broke into a fit of giggles and held her hands up defensively, breathing, "All right all right, I give!"

Slowing up his assault, Naruto frowned at Sakura teasingly and said, "I knew you'd see the wrongness of your ways, or whatever that saying is."

"The error or your ways," Sakura corrected, shaking her head and still smiling at her teammate's silliness. "And, I'm not trying to ruin the moment, but I really think you should tell Sasuke."

Naruto stiffened.

"Naruto," Sakura murmured softly, noticing the other boy's displeasure at the suggestion, "Itachi is his brother. You could potentially ruin all the progress you've made with him if you kept something like this from him. You of all people should understand his obsession with Itachi," she tried to reason.

"Yeah, I know," Naruto muttered dejectedly, staring at his feet and puffing his cheeks out with air, only to let them deflate with a whooshing sound as the air left his mouth. "Oh, I know. I'll…I'll tell him, but not right now," the blond insisted.

"After the mission?" Sakura suggested.

Nodding, Naruto said, "Yeah, I'll tell him _everything_ after the mission."

----

Following this, Sakura told Naruto she was going to go ask the townsfolk about the murders in an attempt to find what the connection between them was – providing there was one. But first, she placed her hands on his temple and put the boy into a deep slumber, assured in the fact that he would be safe, and left.

The heartbroken glance she threw over her shoulder on her way out fell on closed eyes.

-----

When Naruto woke up a few hours later, it was to the sound of hushed voices dancing around him in a swirl of sound. Blinking and trying to focus his hearing so he could discern what was being said, the boy was unaware that he was suddenly the attention of said speakers. He was also unaware of the fact that their voices had stopped.

"You're awake," one of the two people said in a gruff tone.

Feeling as if he'd just been on the receiving end of Rasengan, Naruto let out a tired moan and mumbled something incoherent in response. He could distantly hear the sound of footsteps drawing nearer and forced his eyes opened to stay.

They felt so heavy. _He_ felt so heavy. Like he was going to sink through his mattress and fall through the floor.

"Hey, how're ya feeling?" a gentle voice asked as a warm hand moved to brush his bangs off his face. "You were out for quite awhile."

Acknowledging the face to be Sakura's, Naruto forced his lips into a tired smile as he said, "Fee'like a… a… a…'ree fell'on me." His voice was sluggish and his words slurred together. Brow furrowing, the boy cursed his tongue for not working properly.

"Sasuke…" Sakura said, her tone painted with the bright colour of worry.

"The baka's chakra level isn't getting better if that's what you're wondering," Sasuke told her, sounding almost bitter. His voice sounded far off – muffled – like he was speaking through a wall…

"M'not a baka," Naruto retorted in a weak growl, his head lolling to the side so he could glare at Sasuke. However, the movement proved to be too much for the boy and he suddenly felt as if someone had cracked him over the head with a board. He wouldn't doubt it if someone had judging from the sudden pain pulsing through his skull. "Nnn," he groaned curling into a ball and clutching his head, trying to make the pain go away.

"Naruto?" Sakura asked, her voice pounding through the boy's head. "I'm gonna get you something for your headache, k?" as she said this her voice drifted further away – much to Naruto's relief. He could hear her digging through a pack a little ways away and felt his eyes slipping shut again.

He was unconscious before she got back.

-----

The second time Naruto awoke, Sakura shoved the medicine down his throat before he had time to really even wake up. Not that he was complaining. Because his godforsaken headache was still present. Though less painful than it had been when he had last been awake.

Grumbling to himself about heads and what a pain in the ass they were, Naruto pushed himself up until he was sitting and let his back rest against the headboard.

"So find anything interesting?" he asked behind a yawn as he observed his two teammates, who were watching him just as intently.

More alert than he had previously been, Naruto noticed the way Sasuke and Sakura's eyes met then turned to him, as if sizing him up. Unnerved by the soundless exchange he concluded, "I'll take the silence as a yes…"

Glancing between the two, the boy cleared his throat in an obvious prompt for one of them to explain. It was Sakura who opened her mouth reluctantly after a moment to say, "Well, there have been no murders, disappearances, criminal, or noteworthy activities in this town in the last year," she told him with a nervous lilt to her voice.

"Well, unless you count that old man…"

"Kaito-san."

"Yeah, Kaito-san, who apparently drowned in the pond on the outskirts of town when he fell in. But considering the man had never learned to swim, it really isn't something worth looking into," Sasuke added in a tone that suggested he'd heard about Kaito-san numerous times.

"Oh, don't forget that that happened over six months ago," Sakura reminded Sasuke, her tone almost mocking – something that surprised Naruto.

"So we came here for nothing?" Naruto summarized dryly. "Wonderful." He let his head fall back against the wall with a loud thunk, then, as the pain hit, let out a string of curses a mile long and gripped his head in a tight grasp.

"Well done," Sasuke commended sarcastically from his bed, where he was sitting in a position almost identical to Naruto's.

"Oh shut up," the boy griped through a clenched jaw as he cradled his aching head in his arms, moaning to himself about the unjustness of the world.

Eventually, the pain dulled away and Sasuke took the opportunity to lead the conversation back to the mission. "If you're done complaining," he started, a smirk on his lips as Naruto scowled at him, "we thought you'd like to know what else we came up with while you were sleeping."

Still preoccupied with pitying himself, Naruto waved one hand absently, as if telling Sasuke to go on and explain away.

Glancing at Sakura, Sasuke began, "Well we think the request for our assistance here was a ruse to draw you away from Konoha. Your chakra has been pointing in this direction since I've been watching it," Sasuke informed Naruto. He drew a breath, preparing to continue - probably with a lengthy explanation just to make Naruto feel inept and stupid - when the other boy cut him off.

"Yeah yeah, so you figure whoever's been stealing my chakra's gotta be around here, right?" he asked, looking between Sakura and Sasuke as he made a long story short.

"Pretty much," Sasuke said in a stiff voice, glaring darkly at Naruto.

Sakura, noting the rising tensions in the room, rolled her eyes at the way the two boys simply _couldn't_ resist the temptation to irritate each other. "I have an idea as to who we're looking for," she said warily, her gaze catching Naruto's.

"Oh you sure as hell _do not_," Naruto retorted, sitting forward and shaking his head vehemently and totally forgetting the pain he'd been moaning on about seconds ago. She was _not_ going to say what he thought.

Naruto was sorely tempted to bring up the conversation about the value of keeping promises, but figured that would be better left kept to himself until Sasuke was gone.

"Oh?" Sasuke prompted with a murderous look at Naruto out of the corner of his eye. Obviously, he didn't want Naruto jumping in and shutting Sakura up before he could hear just who exactly was behind his best friend's condition.

"Naruto," Sakura said in an ominous voice quiet enough for only the blonde beside her to hear, "I know you don't want him to know, and I won't give any details, but this is too vital to be overlooked." Turning back to Sasuke she said, "Recently, Naruto saw someone he thought looked very much like Itachi…"

It felt like the sharpness with which Sasuke's gaze narrowed was audible. Like a click, Naruto mused as he stared back at the Uchiha defiantly, as if to say, 'Yeah I saw your bastard of a brother…and?'

He could feel Sakura glancing between them nervously and almost smirked. She'd never asked to always be dragged into their disagreements. Though, Naruto thought sourly, she was the one who'd decided it was '_vital_' to tell Sasuke about Itachi's appearance.

"When did you see him?" Sasuke abruptly demanded, his tone snappy and short. The black-haired boy was leaning forward on the surface of his bed, watching Naruto with narrowed eyes.

Still holding his teammate's gaze, Naruto retorted, "In the forest the other day when you decided it would be all right to force me to show you my seal." His tone was laced with the bitter feelings he was harbouring. Crossing his arms dejectedly, Naruto stood and made his way for the door. "Since Sakura has no objections about telling my secrets, you can ask her for the rest of the details, I'm going for a walk," he said with a hint of finality in his tone, "And don't bother lecturing me on keeping Itachi's presence from you when I get back," he added, "because I don't really care and I definitely won't be listening." With that said Naruto pulled open the door and left the room.

He pretended not to notice the sudden vertigo or the way he stumbled the minute the door closed behind him.

-----

Naruto lay awake, staring at the stucco ceiling above him. There was minimal visibility in the room seeing as the only light was filtering in through the windows. The town was still brightly lit at this hour. It seemed that the people here enjoyed their late nights.

"Naruto?" Sasuke's voice called from the half darkness, quiet in case the boy was asleep and sharp as a knife.

Glancing to the side, Naruto raised an eyebrow. So Sasuke was awake, too…

"Yeah?" he asked, somewhat surprised when the silhouette that was Sasuke sat, hands fumbling with his blankets, trying to release his feet from the tangle of sheets.

"Mind if I come over there?" the dark-haired boy asked in a completely closed tone that sent his blonde teammate on edge almost instantly. Sasuke wasn't looking at Naruto, his attention instead focused on freeing his right foot, which had yet to find its way out of the covers wound around it.

Watching this intently and only paying attention to the bad mood Sasuke's tone hinted at, Naruto issued a semi-wary, "Sure," in response, not catching the way the Uchiha's eyes were glimmering with resolve or the way his teeth were slightly bared in a defensive growl.

It wasn't until Sasuke was free and sauntering toward his bed – sliding in under the covers beside him – that Naruto realized what exactly he'd agreed to. Moving over to the far side of his bed, Naruto stared at Sasuke awkwardly.

"Uh," he heard himself saying as he pulled his blankets higher to his chin. They smelled like other people and Naruto was reminded – with much disgust – that people slept in, screwed in, and probably did… other things… in these beds regularly.

He flinched and mentally gagged as he pushed the thoughts aside rather abruptly.

"You're chakra's so low I'm surprised you're still conscious," Sasuke started, sounding like he was holding back most of the resentment he was feeling from reaching his tone. It was unnerving how he stared unflinchingly at Naruto as he spoke. Bright black eyes glittering with uncontrolled irritation in the scant light.

"Uh yeah…" Naruto replied uncomfortably. The look on his face when matched with his tone made him appear completely clueless, which he was.

"I'm going to give you some of mine." Sasuke shoved closer to Naruto, so close the blue-eyed ninja could feel his companion's breath on his face.

"You're not gonna try to kiss me again, are you Sasuke?" Naruto asked in something akin to a groan, pretending he hadn't heard Sasuke's offer – no, command. There was no way he would let the other boy '_give_' him chakra.

Sasuke scowled, frustration radiating from him in thick waves. "Like you would mind if I did," he spat. He was being particularly defensive and pushy tonight.

Which threw Naruto off completely.

"When did I ever give you the idea that I actually _liked_ your kisses?" the blonde demanded, trying to act oblivious to the way Sasuke was being so… assertive. Sasuke wasn't over in his bed just to talk civilly about passing him chakra. He wanted something… Hell if Naruto could actually figure out what though. He would just have to act oblivious and perhaps Sasuke's true motives would become apparent.

It never occurred to him that Sasuke's true motives had already been revealed.

"When did you give me the idea that you liked my kisses?" Sasuke repeated with a gruff, disbelieving laugh, a sound like nails on a chalkboard. "You act like a little girl when I kiss you," he taunted, his hands 'unintentionally' brushing Naruto's closest arm and stopping upon contact.

Preserving said contact.

Naruto shivered. Damn bastard was doing that on purpose. He just _knew_ it.

… Damn bastard was proving his point.

"Oh yeah right," Naruto said, ever the clever one. "You _wish_ I acted like a school girl you asshole," he continued, then flinched at the reference to Sasuke's ass and blushed as he thought a little too intently about that ass.

Sasuke's retort was immediate and stinging, said with too much hate and too much viciousness – too much eagerness for the conversation to keep going where it was going. "Actually I wish you would act like a man." A snarl.

And without any further ado, Sasuke forced his lips onto Naruto's, rolling on top of the boy and placing both his hands on Naruto's arms, effectively pinning the blonde. Trying to turn his head to the side, out of the kiss, Naruto realized this was what Sasuke had come over for. Sex.

To say he was disgusted would be an understatement.

The blonde could feel Sasuke's tongue tracing the line of his lips forcefully and opened his mouth with the intent of chomping off Sasuke's tongue. He was flopping like a fish, trying to break Sasuke's grip on him. But it wasn't doing anything. The Uchiha was continuing along his way as if Naruto were a completely willing participant.

Breaking apart, both boys released heavy breaths. Smirking and gracing Naruto's face with multiple kisses, Sasuke whispered, "Take off your shirt."

Naruto didn't bother pointing out that he couldn't when both his arms were _pinned_ to his sides. He was more in the mood for a quick and effective response.

"Fuck. You," he growled, breaking one arm free of Sasuke's grasp long enough to punch the boy hard in the face. A very effective response.

He should have noticed the split second where Sasuke's eyes narrowed manipulatively, but he only saw the hurt expression that followed. The expression of someone being rejected in the worst way possible.

The dark-haired boy released his grip on Naruto's other arm and cocked his head in confusion. "I thought you wanted me to treat you like a man." It was nearly a taunt.

"What?" Naruto squawked in surprise. "That wasn't treating me like a man - that was rape!"

Sasuke sighed, sitting up, and looked at Naruto dryly. He was rubbing the cheek that had just been hit with a tender touch. "That was _not_ rape," he told the other boy.

"Of course _you_ would say that," Naruto countered, "You weren't the rap_ee_, you were the rap_er_." He sat up as well, clucking his tongue in disapproval.

"Would you mind not making that noise?" Sasuke asked irritably. A nice bruise was forming on his cheek where Naruto's punch had landed. The blonde couldn't help but smirk, proud with his work.

But then he took another look at his dark-haired friend and the smirk dissolved. Sasuke was frowning at the covers on the bed, occasionally casting Naruto covert glances of what appeared to be hurt. He was almost acting… coy… no repenting was a better word. And, while it unnerved him, Naruto couldn't quite find it in him to be wary. Sasuke was acting so much more vulnerable than he had been about five seconds ago. And while Naruto should have realized this meant he was being played for a fool, he had an inherent habit of believing in the good in everyone. Besides, what underhanded motives would Sasuke have for seducing him? Really.

"I like your other kisses better," he said suddenly, trying to get the mood back. He briefly wondered why _he_ was feeling bad when it had been Sasuke who had just pinned him to the bed and ravaged him without any consent whatsoever.

"Whatever," Sasuke sulked, a light blush of irritation on his cheeks.

"Oh quit being a baby," Naruto groaned, leaning forward to kiss Sasuke lightly. Just as Sasuke started responding - leaned forward as well - Naruto pulled back. "You actually want this?" he asked.

Blush darkening and eyes rolling, Sasuke nodded. His sudden submissiveness should have been Naruto's second clue that something was not right.

"Then promise me you'll be here tomorrow morning when I wake up. That you won't chicken out on me again."

Sasuke's eyes widened, like an animal caught in the face of a sudden bright light, and he froze. What Naruto had just asked for wasn't just to wake up together, but the hidden request had been commitment. The blonde could see this registering as Sasuke suddenly bit the inside of his cheek.

And then he nodded – slow and nearly imperceptive – but… he nodded.

Letting out a sigh he had had no idea he was holding, Naruto put his arms around Sasuke's shoulders and pulled him close – pulled him down with him as he laid back on the bed. Their lips were suddenly caught together as they rediscovered how nice it was to kiss when both participants were willing.

Then Sasuke began running his fingers through Naruto's hair, untangling the blonde locks, and he stopped the kiss, letting his lips linger on his teammate's for a moment before murmuring, "Take off your shirt?"

Dazed and caught up in the moment of passion, Naruto found that it really wasn't in him to reject this time. Though he couldn't help but say, "You'd better not try to tickle me bastard, 'cause I'm definitely _not_ ticklish." As he spoke his hands relinquished their hold on Sasuke and began tugging his shirt up.

The Uchiha joined Naruto eagerly – too fake – tugging the article a bit too hard as the bronzed surface of Naruto's skin was slowly exposed to him.

"Wouldn't dream of tickling you…" Sasuke murmured as his lips fumbled impatiently along Naruto's bared stomach.

He was in the middle of leisurely licking a trail up Naruto's twitching abdomen when he felt a hard smack on his head. Jerking away from the task at hand, Sasuke frowned at Naruto, who was, in turn, glaring at him darkly.

"That tickles asshole," he growled. And while Sasuke was completely frustrated with the interruption, he couldn't help but be thankful for it because it provided him with the opportunity to just _look_ at Naruto, topless and breathless, lying before him and he didn't think he'd ever see that again. Not after what he was planning…

The scowl on the blonde's face only managed to turn him on more and Sasuke felt the stirrings of arousal pooling in his stomach – the feeling warm and addictive as it coursed through his veins.

"Sorry," Sasuke murmured apologetically.

As Sasuke moved up his body, a grin broke out on Naruto's face and he nodded, lifting his head off the pillows to meet Sasuke's lips with his own, saying into the kiss, "You're actually not a bad kisser, bastard."

Sasuke let out a heavy breath into Naruto's mouth at this and smirked to himself. Moving back and trailing his tongue gently along Naruto's cheek, the brunette found his companion's earlobe rather easily and began to gently suck on the flesh, pulling it between his lips and nipping lightly.

"You bit me!" Naruto exclaimed in a half-groan, half-giggle. "I can't believe you bit me!" A snort of amusement passed Naruto's lips and he squirmed against Sasuke's continued administrations on his ear.

"You like it, yeah?" the Uchiha breathed hotly from his place near Naruto's ear. The lust in his tone hit Naruto right in the stomach and he felt himself waking up to the possibilities that tone provided.

"Sasuke," he whimpered, tugging at the other boy's shirt helplessly. "I'm not gonna be the only one without a shirt."

Laughing huskily, Sasuke moved back, sitting in a straddle over Naruto's midsection, his hardness obvious against Naruto's stomach, even through his loose pyjama pants. He pulled off his shirt slowly, keeping his eyes trained on Naruto as he did so. His skin was so white and perfect. Naruto couldn't help but trail a hand over his partner's toned stomach.

"You're warming up to this quite nicely," Sasuke growled appreciatively as he moved away from Naruto's hand – down until his body was at the blonde's feet, his head hovering over Naruto's clothed arousal.

Teasingly, he leaned forward and began nipping at the exposed skin of Naruto's abs just above the boy's pant line.

"Sasuke, please?" The blonde whimpered, not quite sure what it was he was asking for, but knowing he should ask.

When Sasuke's hands began pulling his pants down, Naruto couldn't help the flush that covered his cheeks. Of course Sasuke would have to _see_ it if he was going to touch it. Not that that had crossed Naruto's mind seconds earlier when he'd been begging.

Pushing this thought aside, because it was far too confusing and conflicting, Naruto allowed himself to just shiver in need as Sasuke's hot breath ghosted over his erection. Part of him just wanted to scream for Sasuke to hurry the fuck up. The other part… had no idea what hurrying the fuck up was… well… he had an idea… but that was just…

Sasuke's mouth on his penis?

Ew.

Naruto shuddered at how disgusting that was and then stilled as the thought of doing the same thing to Sasuke crossed his mind. He'd have to return the favour wouldn't he? The boy flinched and found himself saying, "Can we just skip to the sex?"

…

And he had no idea why the hell he'd blurted that out.

Oh right, he had said it because there was no way he was sticking Sasuke's wang in his mouth.

"What?" Sasuke asked in a completely offended tone, moving up so that he was at eye level with Naruto.

Smiling awkwardly – extremely awkwardly – Naruto let out a nervous chuckle and said, "Well, y'know, I just feel so…er… awkward being the only one completely naked. Can't you take your pants off too bastard?" He had never imagined that those words would pass his lips… "I just uh…" Naruto imagined Jiraiya's dirty novels, of which he'd seen glimpses, "need you right now."

His casual, nervous, and completely needless tone said otherwise.

"All right…" Sasuke agreed in a strange voice, as he eyed Naruto with a weird expression. Sitting back, the boy began pulling his pants down, watching Naruto's expression carefully when his length was exposed.

"Whoa, there it is!" Naruto supplied uncomfortably, his smile extremely forced. "Just popped right out of there, huh?" He poked it with a strained giggle and continued, "Well look at you!" Laughing at his joke, the blonde caught Sasuke's annoyed expression and instantly sobered.

He needed to remember Jiraiya's novels. He needed to be sexy.

"Wow, you're huge," he exclaimed a little overzealously, aiming for the enraptured tone Jiraiya's novels had described. "Take me now!" he cried suddenly, throwing his head back dramatically as a grin split over his face. Breaking into a fit of sniggers, Naruto chanced a glance at Sasuke…

…And felt every word in his mind suddenly disappear. The look he was receiving was either really pissed off, or so lustful it was hurting the other boy.

Moving off Naruto, Sasuke reached for his pants wordlessly. When he made his way to the edge of the bed, the blonde grabbed his wrist and pulled him back. "Hey," he dared to say, "What're you doing?"

"Obviously, I'm the only one that wants this," Sasuke replied shortly. He seemed more than frustrated. It was like he… knew that acting this way would make things move faster… But Naruto refused to believe this gut instinct.

Naruto snorted and sat up, shifting closer to Sasuke. "Not true," he whispered and caught Sasuke's lips with his own. His arm found its way around the smaller man's shoulders and he pulled Sasuke down on top of him as he fell back into the comfort of the bed.

He felt Sasuke's hands roving down his sides and shivered in delight. When Sasuke broke the kiss, he pulled back to look at Naruto's face searchingly. "You're sure you want this?" he asked, moving between the blonde's legs.

Not trusting his voice, Naruto nodded and swallowed thickly. His body was pulsing with nervous jitters as Sasuke lifted his legs onto his shoulders. "Relax," the dark-eyed boy said softly, leaning forward to kiss Naruto on the nose affectionately.

"Yeah," the blonde agreed, though he didn't feel himself relaxing in the least. If anything his body was tensing up.

"Hand me the lotion," Sasuke instructed, motioning to a bottle sitting so conveniently beside the bed on the nightstand. Naruto gave Sasuke a suspicious look and swore he saw a smirk in Sasuke's eyes. A smirk like a taunt that was daring him to realize what was going on. Naruto's hand closed around the bottle and he passed it to Sasuke, frowning suspiciously.

The confusion he experienced when Sasuke applied a liberal amount of the lotion to three of his fingers completely banished all of Naruto's caution. Then those three fingers began moving towards his ass and Naruto swore he had a little question mark of uncertainty floating above his head…

Feeling the familiar 'yuck' reflex kicking in, Naruto couldn't help the disgusted expression from crossing his face as Sasuke pressed one finger against his entrance.

"You are!" he gasped in awed horror. "You're actually going to stick your fingers in my ass!"

"Oh for the love of…" Sasuke said in exasperation, pulling his hand away and giving Naruto a hard look as he began to move away.

"No, Sasuke!" Naruto cried, tightening his legs over Sasuke's shoulders. "I _want_ to," he told the Uchiha, "Just… it's kind of gross that you're sticking your fingers in my…" he blushed, "…ass."

"Well unless you want me to go in without any preamble, I'd suggest you forget that technicality," Sasuke suggested in a dry tone. The mood was deteriorating fast. _Really_ fast.

Blush darkening, Naruto mumbled an apology and closed his eyes, deciding not to watch what Sasuke was doing. This was going to be good, he told himself. Completely worth all the disgusting preparations. Which were disgusting. Naruto began to shudder but stopped himself when he felt something pressed against his entrance.

"Breathe," Sasuke said softly, and his finger gently pushed into Naruto. Wincing, the tan boy clenched his jaw, not allowing himself to make any comments. Like how it figured that a finger up the ass hurt. He already knew that from his experience with Kakashi's 1,000 years of pain.

…Which he was definitely not thinking about while having a sexual encounter with Sasuke.

Another finger entered and Naruto felt them move forward, searching, and… Ohhh that was nice, he thought as a sudden rush of pleasure pierced his body. A small sound of approval escaped his lips and Naruto felt himself gently pressing back against Sasuke's fingers.

"Think I'm ready," he grated out in a hoarse tone as he tried to breathe around the sensations throbbing in his body – his anticipation.

**(Sexual content (****smex!****) removed due to the NC-17 ban. The whole chapter (lemon and all) can be found at -- http :// community . livejournal . com / sasuxnaru / 1408180 . html -- You just need to remove the spaces.)**

Without realizing it, Naruto let out a ragged call of Sasuke's name and felt himself falling back to Earth, hands still holding Sasuke's arms tightly, dragging the boy with him like a souvenir from heaven as he hit the ground with a resounding crash of contentment.

Seconds later, Sasuke collapsed forward onto Naruto his mouth opened in a silent oh, and laid his head on the blonde's chest.

There was silence, save for the sounds of their heavy breathing, as both boys basked in the feeling of the other, Naruto feeling more alive than he had in a long time.

And then, after what seemed like forever, Naruto said with a tired smile, "Still can't believe you stuck your fingers up my ass."

And that was that.

* * *

Meanwhile, just a paper thin wall away, Sakura sat on her bed, alone. Her legs were drawn close to her chest and her head rested on her knees as tears fell in fat droplets to her thin pink nightgown.

She wondered how she could be breaking her promise, the one she'd made to herself all those years ago that stated she would never cry for a boy again.

AN: I'm sorry!!! It was starting to be semi-happy and light-hearted, then I just had to go and drag Sakura into it. Also, for everyone that wanted a happy, perfect sex scene… I'm sorry, I just always thought Naruto would be so awkward about it and of course I'm not going to give away anything about what on Earth Sasuke was up to (grin). (scratches back of head) Hoped you guys liked (OMFG FOR MY SECOND LEMON EVER!!!!) Oh, and reviews are pretty much teh sex (wink wink)

-TJ


	11. Chapter XI

_Posted: June 12, 2007_

**Disclaimer**: Do not own.

**Warnings**: Shounen ai, spoilers for anyone not keeping up with the manga, & AUish. Anything involving Akatsuki and bijuus after the timeskip is completely irrelevant to this story, and as such, never happened. Actually, this applies to everything after the timeskip except the part where Naruto, Sakura, and Sai meet up with Sasuke.

**General**: Takes place after chapter 308 for those of you that_are_ keeping up with the manga.

**Thank yous**: goheh-remix and Nox (betas) as well as everyone who has reviewed SF. Much love!

**Summary**: _The invisibility started with one silly wish upon a star. Good thing Sasuke's doormat personality, Sai's attempts at matchmaking, and a mission gone wrong were all quite normal in the life of Naruto Uzumaki... Wait. What? SasuNaru_

* * *

**Previously:**

""_There was silence, save for the sounds of their heavy breathing, as both boys basked in the feeling of the other, Naruto feeling more alive than he had in a long time._

_And then, after what seemed like forever, Naruto said with a tired smile, "Still can't believe you stuck your fingers up my ass."_

_And that was that._

_-----_

_Meanwhile, just a paper thin wall away, Sakura sat on her bed, alone. Her legs were drawn close to her chest and her head rested on her knees as tears fell in fat droplets to her thin pink nightgown._

_She wondered how she could be breaking her promise, the one she'd made to herself all those years ago that stated she would never cry for a boy again.""_

* * *

**Surface Flaws**

Chapter XI

_"You called me strong  
You called me weak_  
_But still your secrets I will keep_  
_You took for granted_  
_All the times I never let you down_  
_You stumbled in and bumped your head_  
_If not for me then you'd be dead_  
_I picked you up and put you back_  
_On solid ground"_

_- Kryptonite (Three Doors Down)_

When Naruto opened his eyes that morning they didn't feel heavy, his head didn't spin, he wasn't overcome by nausea, there were no trembles throwing themselves through his body, and most disconcerting of all, his ass, of all things, was in pain.

Dread began coiling itself in his stomach and he fought against whatever memory it was his mind was trying to replay for him. The boy had an unnerving feeling that, whatever had happened, he was better off not knowing. Drawing his bottom lip between his teeth and biting nervously, Naruto threw a hand over his face, unable to suppress the uneasy tension that was pulsing through his veins, making his head light with anxiety.

He could hear footsteps outside his room, quick and definite, alongside the light chipper of birds. There was a stutter in the pace of the person's gait, and then a sharp rap on his door. Without thinking, Naruto grumbled, "Hey, asshole, you go open it."

And…oh fuck.

The blonde pressed the palms of his hands into his eyes and let out a lengthy moan of aggravation.

He remembered.

Naruto peered under his hands at Sasuke's empty bed then at the bottle of lotion on the nightstand and felt his abdominal muscles cramp uncomfortably. Shit, did he ever remember. "Ewwwww," he managed to groan as he rolled onto his stomach and buried his head into his pillow. He felt all kinds of dirty.

He had done _it_ with Sasuke.

He had let the bastard touch him in his _manly area_ and in return he'd felt Sasuke up too. Not only that but… Naruto gagged into his pillow and hoped to hell Sasuke had washed his hands this morning, because if he hadn't then… A shudder quaked through his toned form at the same time the boy realized he was alone in his bed - no Sasuke.

_Rap rap rap_.

And there was still someone knocking on his door.

"Who is it?" he yelled in a croaked tone. If it was Sasuke he was sure he would die of horror. Bastard. He had known Naruto was too out of it to make any important decisions - and fuck if this didn't count as an important decision - this was his _virginity_ they were talking about. If the blonde shinobi remembered correctly, Sasuke had been the one stressing how "severe" Naruto's illness was only hours before he successfully seduced his friend.

Besides, who seduced someone that late at night in the first place? It was unfair.

"Naruto, open up. It's just me," a feminine voice called at him through the door, reminding him yet again of the presence beyond his door.

Letting_- _forcing actually - all thoughts of Sasuke and everything Sasuke-related from his mind, Naruto sat up and prepared to make his way to the door. Until he a) realized he was naked, and b) realized just how sore his ass was.

He was going to fucking kill Sasuke next time he saw the bastard.

Cursing sourly under his breath, Naruto reached over the side of his bed and groped around blindly until his hand came in contact with his boxers. "Coming Sakura," he yelled in a strangled tone as he forced himself to stand and hop into the flimsy material while making his way to the door.

Once there, the boy paused in his haste to take one last glance around the room. On the off chance that Sakura hadn't _heard_ them, Naruto wanted to make sure there was nothing incriminating laying about on the floor… he had no idea what he was looking for, and before he could even allow his mind to yell, 'A big splooge stain!', he was opening the door and greeting Sakura with a huge Uzumaki Naruto Smile™.

"Ah, good morning Sakura-chan!" he chirped at the sight of his pink-haired companion. "How's it going?" The boy stepped aside as she entered the room and watched with a smile far too fake as she moved to sit on Sasuke's bed. The girl didn't notice the way his grip tightened on the doorknob, his knuckles whitening with strain.

"Fine." Her tone was rather clipped, even bordering on being mean, Naruto observed as he moved to sit across from her on his own bed. She was watching him intently, her eyes narrowed in a calculating way.

"You're walking funny," she observed with a knowing look at the lotion bottle.

Naruto refused to acknowledge the blush that slowly crept up his cheeks and to his ears and to his nose and... oh hell, it covered his whole face. "I uh…fell…" he started awkwardly, "out of bed. You know me, always falling out of bed!"

The look that Sakura gave him stopped Naruto mid-pat on the back - it had been a rather good excuse all things considered - and he looked at his feet sheepishly. She was trying to be nice... - he could tell because she hadn't punched his lights out yet.

"I'd appreciate if you didn't lie to me and insult my intelligence," she requested in such a formal tone that it caused the blonde to wince.

"Ah, sorry, Sakura-chan," he said, still sheepish.

The blonde raised his gaze without lifting his head, watching as Sakura surveyed him with an awkwardly intense look. He really wished she didn't know. No one was meant to know that other people went around having sex. It was just gross...

He blushed and dropped his eyes, definitely not wondering if Sakura had ever done it. And then he realized she couldn't have because she was so faithful to Sasuke, even if she claimed to be over him - even if she kissed Naruto - and he felt his stomach drop to his feet and jump to his throat all at once.

He had promised to never hurt her...

"I should be apologizing to you," Sakura said after a moment's consideration, cutting into Naruto's thoughts, and the boy found himself staring at her in outright shock. "Do you know where he is?" she asked over his soundless questions, her tone approaching something like soft as she saw the way Naruto's face fell at the mention of Sasuke.

The boy hesitated, uncertain, and eyed his friend warily, - then finally: "Gonna kill him when I do know," he muttered dejectedly, balling his hands into fists, because maybe he could concentrate all of his guilt there, where it wouldn't sting so much. Sakura just looked at him and he couldn't help but notice that she had begun to wring the hem of her shirt awkwardly. The boy swallowed.

"You know, it wasn't supposed to happen," he started, trying to find a way to amend for what he'd done, "I've honestly never even_thought _about it happening." He dropped his head into his hands and croaked out, "Shit, I am _so_ fucking sorry."

The silence that followed this statement left Naruto's heart pounding in his throat, each beat pushing him closer to saying something more. But he couldn't. It wasn't as if he deserved her forgiveness, not really.

He could hear her steady breathing, quiet and comforting. Soft like her and still hitching every few breaths, so subtly he almost missed the pattern.

Finally she said, "I know you are," and it came out sounding like a revelation, as if she hadn't really expected him to be sorry - and her breathing quickened in agitation. "But..." she paused and he lifted his head, meeting the muted green of her eyes - green like mint. "Are you sorry because you hurt me, or are you sorry because you trusted him and he left?"

The room went stiff with surprise and both Sakura and Naruto stared at each other, unable to move, to blink, to _breathe_ under the accusation that hung in the air between them.

"What?" Naruto eventually gasped, eyes finally widening in shock at the suggestion that he wasn't truly sorry that he had hurt _her_. He leaned forward, searching her face as he nearly pleaded with her. "Sakura, you know the answer to that question."

Silence so quiet he could hear her trust in him falling away piece by piece engulfed them. He felt overwhelmed as he tried to scoop everything up and push - _force_ - it back into her - tried to put everything back together.

"Don't you?"

He was grasping for something he couldn't see - trying to pick up the fragile pieces of her faith in him. And it wasn't working. He knew it wasn't when she dropped her gaze to the floor, her expression apologetic. As he let his hope slip uselessly from his grip, Naruto had to wonder just when this had happened - when she had lost her conviction in his loyalty to her. "You're my best friend," he whispered, somehow thinking the sound wouldn't cross the gap between them. "_You_, not Sasuke, not... I don't know, Sai. Not anyone. Just you."

He wasn't quite sure why he was telling her this, because all this time he had thought she had known. "Don't you know that?" he found himself asking in a voice that wouldn't quite work.

Sakura swallowed, he could see the rise and fall in her small throat, and drew a deep breath. When she raised her eyes they were sparkling... not quite with tears . The only thing Naruto could see there was a self-deprecating humour. "Sometimes I imagine things differently," she said in a darkly wary tone, "And when reality is less than fantasy, I guess I get disappointed."

And that's when Naruto finally realized. His mouth rounded into a silent 'o' and he stared at her openly, wondering when _this_ had happened. His shoulders shook in tiny trembles and still he stared at her, horrified wonderment drawn over his face in a messy scrawl.

"But you love Sasuke..." he told her after a moment's thought, his voice tentative and thick with denial.

"I told you I didn't love him anymore, Naruto. You remember that, I know you do." Sakura shook her head and ran her fingers through her hair, frowning at the floor. "I meant it," she said, her tone firm - brooking no room for argument.

"But you don't _love_ me do you?" His voice quivered and Naruto cursed himself for being so weak. If she loved Sasuke then it was kind of okay what had happened, at least _he_ hadn't been the one to choose someone else. But if she loved _him_...

Then every time he'd turned her down and accepted Sasuke...

Naruto wiped the sweat from his brow and tried to contain the terror in his eyes so she wouldn't be able to see it. And were the walls collapsing inward or was that just his imagination? The room was suddenly feeling very confined.

"Naruto, I..."

He needed to run. She was trying to calm him down, he could tell. But, hell, he felt like the room was going to squish them both.

"I don't love you."

His thoughts halted and Naruto couldn't help but clench the blankets of his bed tight in his fists. So tight that when he released them, his body would sag with relief.

Was he going to accept her lie for his own sake?

Without even thinking, he knew the answer to that question, because he needed this to be his own little truth. And she had given it to him. Maybe even to herself. What would she have done if she had admitted to loving him only to be rejected?

He wanted to smack himself for trying to make this justifiable...

And then Sakura said, "Still friends?" and he couldn't help but nod.

"Yeah," he agreed, his eyes still worried as he focused his attention on his knees. The girl stood and he wondered how he had just let her lie to him like that. Naruto could hear Sakura's footsteps as they fell on the floor - came closer. A part of him hoped she was coming over to slap him because he really did deserve it. She stepped close enough for her feet to be in his sight, then she stopped and seemed to hesitate.

"Well, just so you know I'd thank Sasuke before killing him if I were you." Sakura finally said, sitting beside him - the mattress dipped under her weight in a comforting way - and gently patting his cheek. He glanced up at her with a wry expression and tapped her jaw with his fist, hitting so lightly neither of them really felt the contact, and smiled at her. He could almost convince himself that the smile didn't feel strained.

"And why's that?" he inquired, trying to understand why she was being nice to him after what he had done.

Bringing her fists up in front of her, Sakura feigned a few quick jabs in Naruto's direction as she said, "Do you know a common reason intercourse is practiced among teammates in dire situations?"

The blonde felt the words, 'because they think it's fun' on his lips but refrained from saying them as he dodged to the left and right, avoiding Sakura's mock punches. Reaching with one hand to grab for her hair, he said, "No idea," just as his other hand went up to flick her square in the nose. Of course, Sakura wasn't stupid enough to fall for such a trick, and she batted his hand away easily with a gentle laugh.

"It's the most effective way to transfer large amounts of chakra from one shinobi to another." The fake battle stopped as Naruto realized where this was going, his hands dropping to his lap limply. "Providing they know what to say and what seals to make, anyone could do it," she told him.

_He felt Sasuke's arms move in his hold, saw the movements of a seal from the corner of his eye, and heard a gentle sound that had to be his lover's voice._

Naruto went stiff with outrage and was about to rip the fucking hotel room to shreds in his fury when Sakura piped up in an almost smug - no it couldn't be - tone, "Do you mind if I check your chakra levels?"

So that was why.

Naruto clenched his jaw and let his hands stiffen into fists in his lap. Sakura could be as fucking smug as she wanted. She had a right to be, he reminded himself as he shrugged nonchalantly, steeling his jaw and trying to reason himself out of his anger. Water on his back... this was all water on his back...

"Sure, why not?" he said in something like a growl and lifted his head to stare Sakura in the eye as he pulled up his shirt to reveal his stomach.

He continued to watch her as her hands moved to his stomach, her soft fingers gently coming in contact with his abdomen. Well, it looked like his little romp in the sheets with Sasuke hadn't hurt _anyone_after all. Sakura wasn't betrayed, not really. It had been a '_medicinal romp in the sheets'_and who would understand such a thing better than the team medic.

It hadn't _hurt_ anyone. Sasuke was... well who the fuck knew, but he wasn't hurt by what had happened. And Naruto, well he'd gotten the best end of this deal.

It_hadn't_ hurt anyone. Naruto was pumped up with someone else's chakra.

He wanted to punch something really really bad, if only to get rid of the sense of betrayal that was pulling his normally constant smile into an increasingly present frown.

Sakura's cool fingers left his skin and Naruto let his shirt drop. "I'm good to go then?" he asked, trying to keep from sounding too gruff. This was all water on his back - just let it slide away.

The girl nodded and glanced around the room, all smugness gone. Well, good to know she had gotten her little moment of 'I told you so' over and done with. "Your chakra levels are fine for the time being," she told him, and then she sobered and Naruto knew what was coming next. "Do you have any idea where he might have gone?"

That was obvious, Naruto thought as he released his hold on the sheets and wiped his sweaty palms on the front of his shirt. "To find Itachi." He eyed the pack Sakura was carrying on her back and figured he had better get his ready.

Standing, the boy moved to grab the few things he'd removed from his bag. He paused at his water flask. "Did you refill yours?" he called to Sakura as he stepped into the bathroom. The girl nodded and stood, coming up behind him as he turned on the tap, which was old and rusted.

"You'll be okay?" she asked him quietly and Naruto found that they were staring at each other in the mirror's reflection. He vaguely noticed how nice they looked together and thought that under different circumstances it might have worked, but...

But Naruto Uzumaki wasn't looking for nice. He never had been. Grinning at her, Naruto piped up, "What, you think this is gonna set me back? Ha!"

A smile crossed Sakura's features, visibly relaxing her tensed form and she ruffled his hair fondly, saying, "Never would have imagined it would," before turning to leave the bathroom. Her gait was lighter and Naruto couldn't help but feel his own body release some of it's tension because everything _would _work out. It always had.

Twisting the cap back on his flask and turning off the sink, Naruto followed her out of the washroom and grabbed his sack, throwing it over his shoulder. "Well, it looks like it's just you and me hunting Sasuke down again," he said with a smirk.

Sakura broke into a grin as well and they shared a brief moment of silence where they just stared at each other. And when he opened the door to leave, Naruto knew that both of them would be fine. They always had been.

-----

The burst of Sasuke's chakra was sudden. It coursed through Naruto's body, quaking within him and gripping him into stillness. Just as he felt his feet stumbling forward - out of his control - Sakura's arms were around him, holding him upright.

The pink-haired female met his curious gaze evenly. "Remember whose chakra is in your body," she said and helped to steady the boy before rushing forward - to the line where the forest edged off into a wide clearing of coarse yellowed grass.

Shaking his head to dispel the strange sensation of Sasuke's chakra actively working though his body, Naruto stepped up beside his teammate and stared out over the field. More accurately, he stared at the two figures centered in the middle of the abrupt plain. An unnatural wind whipped through the blades of grass and Naruto hesitated in taking a step forward - through the barrier that divided him from _them_.

Both Uchiha men were staring at each other. Even from the distance he was at, Naruto could see the trembles rolling through Sasuke's body - could see the anger casting his face alight with passion.

"Why are you here?" Sasuke demanded, his tight voice carrying easily over the flatness of the clearing. His chakra was beginning to buzz around him, focusing on his hand. The blonde could feel the chakra in his own body humming and intensifying as if it were still under Sasuke's ever vigilant control.

Taking a step forward, Naruto broke through the barrier of green that had held him separated from the scene unfolding before him. He was staring at Sasuke's back - at the red and white of the Uchiha fan - while his mind kept screaming at him _'It was always worth it'_.

Itachi's eyes drolly rolled away from Sasuke and Naruto knew that the Akatsuki member had never been unaware of his presence. He swallowed roughly. This was the great Uchiha Itachi. The blonde figured it was all right to be slightly terrified of the man.

Then, like the hard slap of waves against rock, Itachi spoke, his focus returning to his brother. "To take that which is precious to you."

The chidori suddenly became palpable around Sasuke's hand and Naruto felt his body pulse with everything _Sasuke_. He tried to yell for the brunette to stop as the boy charged at his brother, but his voice failed him. The attack was easily dodged, even with Sasuke's inhuman speed, and that boy was swiftly thrown to the ground, which quaked terribly at the impact.

There was blood. Naruto could see it on Sasuke's face as the boy raised his head... and he felt like a child again - watching as Sasuke fought the battle for him. Only this time Sasuke wasn't winning.

And it hadn't even begun.

He tried to run forward but Sakura grabbed his hand and pulled him tight against her chest, whispering, "Don't you dare."

_"Don't you dare go over there. I will __**not**__ lose you too."_

The heat of her tears falling on his neck almost deterred him, but then Sasuke's hands were flying through a series of seals and the young Uchiha didn't even get the time to finish because Itachi was landing a kick to his ribs.

And Naruto could _feel_ them crack as they splintered loud enough for the world to hear - could almost feel the spray of blood that flew from Sasuke's mouth on his face - because no human could take that hard of a blow and not bleed. Not even Sasuke - invincible, unshakable Sasuke.

"Let go," the blonde growled and began to viciously pull away from Sakura's arms. His elbow impacted painfully against her chest and he vaguely remembered being told that being hit in the breasts was a fucking _painful_ experience.

But then Sasuke was raising from the ground, that stupid fucking stubborn gleam in his eyes and Naruto pushed away from her so hard he probably threw her flying. He wouldn't let Sasuke kill himself, not for him. Not for anyone.

Red unfocused eyes, bright and blinding with suppressed pain turned to him and Naruto shook his head as he continued running forward.

"Get out of here," Sasuke said in so many tones of impersonal that Naruto thought he could hear his own heart break. The blonde was in front of him now, his expression mirroring the stubborn frown that Sasuke bore.

"No," Naruto said, reaching out to the other boy and wiping some of the blood from his chin. And fuck if he didn't love this stupid _stupid_ bastard. "I'm not going to let you kill yourself." The power in his voice sounded so convincing that Naruto nearly believed himself.

But deep down he knew that not even he could stop Sasuke from fighting this battle. No love, especially one as weak and new as his was, could stop this battle.

"You don't get a say," Sasuke retorted, pushing Naruto's hand away and swiping his own over his mouth, doing nothing more than staining his cheek the same vivid crimson of his blood. He was glaring. And that Naruto could take. He could deal with Sasuke's anger.

"So what? Letting him _kill_ you is going to accomplish something?" Naruto demanded in a strangled yell as he wished he could just kick Sasuke for being such an idiot. His eyes strayed to Itachi and he felt his muscles tense defensively at the amused expression he saw on the man's face.

"He_won't_ kill me," Sasuke snarled, pushing Naruto aside as roughly as his injured body would allow.

"Who are you kidding?" the blonde almost shouted - almost _laughed_ - as he grabbed Sasuke's shoulder and spun the boy around, demanding his attention. "This fight has barely started and you're fighting worse than you did three years ago when you left! What, you didn't learn anything more impressive than your stupid chidori when you were with that snake bastard? At least you could have learned something while you were in Sound being Orochimaru's lapdog!"

Sasuke's eyes hardened and he stepped back from Naruto. He looked as if he wanted to say something, as if he wanted to smack Naruto harder than was physically possible, but this little interlude was already becoming too lengthy. "I won't let him hurt you," Sasuke said viciously quiet and turned away, looking back to his brother, his face set.

Why had his legs stopped working, Naruto wondered as he fought to focus his eyes on Sasuke. But all he could see was Itachi and that stupid hint of laughter glimmering in his eyes. The older Uchiha smirked at his younger brother then at Naruto.

"Well put," he said, addressing the pair, still highly amused. "However, I have business to attend to that does not involve listening to your heartfelt bickering..." Itachi tilted his head to the side, eyes still locked on Naruto and the world lurched. It picked itself up and replaced itself under his feet. The blonde's eyes burned and a sudden searing pain latched onto his stomach like a parasite.

He bit back a whimper of pain and stumbled away from the pair, falling ungracefully to the ground. He could hear Sasuke's voice distantly, could even see the boy backtracking and staring at him, then the brunette's head whipped toward Itachi... and Naruto couldn't help but curse the world's absolutely bang on brilliant timing before everything flashed red then faded into nothing.

-----

When consciousness finally called upon Naruto, dragging his reluctant mind back to the small clearing to which he had fallen victim, the boy found himself seated in a tree, high above the battle that had begun to rage below. He could hear Sakura's thoughts shouting above Sasuke's panic, though he could hardly discern any of either of their words through the jumble of anxiety.

There was the slight shuffling of cloth and Naruto glanced up to see Itachi standing beside him, observing through dispassionate eyes as a double of himself fought Sasuke in the clearing below. Or perhaps this was the double...

"It feels as if he has become weaker. Or perhaps he is still staggering from the after-effects of wasting most of his chakra on keeping you alive," Itachi commented casually, his eyes lowering to gauge Naruto's reaction as the boy realized why Sasuke was fighting so horribly. He felt the familiar tang of guilt in his mouth and tried to will Sasuke his chakra back. Above him, Itachi shifted and his ice cold leg brushed against Naruto's shoulder.

The blonde shuddered - was wrenched from his guilt - and pulled away, sneering at Itachi as he said, "What are you doing to me?"

Because it had to be Itachi behind all of this... The burst of chakra by the West Wall... the photo of Itachi appearing in Sasuke's home... the random flickers of black... Kyuubi's unease... the unnatural red he saw whenever he was invisible - that he could see now...

The blonde shot up, standing nearly eye to eye with Itachi and glared for all he was worth, only to have the eldest of the Uchiha brothers smirk, obviously amused, and shrug his shoulders. His deep red eyes glanced off Naruto and returned to the fight below, where Sasuke was pushing himself off the ground and onto all fours. One of his arms was bent at a sickening angle - Naruto winced - and blood gushed forcefully from a gash across his stomach.

And he was still standing... still fighting.

_"He will never take someone from me again. I'll die before that happens... Stand up! Why are you being so weak? I said, "__**Stand up!**__"...'_ Sasuke's thoughts toppled into Naruto's mind and the blonde felt himself staggering at the tone - the insistently furious pitch that was purely Sasuke.

"Stop it," Naruto ordered - pleaded - turning to the Itachi beside him. He reached out desperately, trying to grab Itachi by the cloak and pull him down - throw him out of the tree. But the man stepped away, shaking his head and smiling.

"I had hoped that by now you would be nearly dead..." Itachi said, his tone bland as he observed Naruto with a frighteningly sinister twinkle in his eye. "I didn't realize Sasuke would share his chakra with you so...willingly..." The man chuckled - a sound like glass crushing on stone - and suddenly drew himself toward Naruto again, whispering, "I dare venture to say that this love affair is going to end as a tragedy..."

And just as he said that the tree shook violently. Almost losing his footing, Naruto spun around and wrapped his arms around the thick trunk, looking down to see Sasuke's body slinking along the length of the tree, shuriken protruding from his form like nettles on a cactus. The Uchiha chocked out a cough filled with blood and Naruto had to look away...

His eyes fell on the Itachi beside him, standing there so calmly and he rushed forward, prepared to throw the man from the tree with his body weight. If they fell together, Naruto was sure every bone in his body would break - it was inevitable from such a height - but he needed to stop Itachi...

And then there was a pulse in the red haze surrounding him, strong like a heartbeat, and Itachi's form became smoky and Naruto was coming through the other side of the man, stopping his momentum just short of plummeting from the branch on which he stood.

"You bastard," the blonde growled, turning back to Itachi.

"You cannot hurt me," Both forms of the Akatsuki member said, and Naruto found himself glancing down at the Itachi fighting Sasuke. The double grinned up at him, then back at his nearly unconscious brother.

"Not worth my time," the Itachi on the ground murmured, indicating Sasuke. He stepped away from his brother and with the grace of a cat, leapt the six or so stories to the tree branch where Naruto stood.

Below, Sakura glanced upward, saying a silent prayer for Naruto and rushed forward to begin attending to Sasuke's wounds.

She couldn't help someone she couldn't see...

-----

"Kyuubi will be mine." The sentence came out simultaneously from different mouths in the same tone as both Itachis approached Naruto from either side. The sharingan of the two men flared brightly and Naruto felt a slight pull on his stomach.

"Get off it. I'll die before I let you have control of Kyuubi," Naruto snarled, wrapping his arms around his stomach protectively. He held tight, staring at the Itachi that he assumed to be the real one and was about to say more when he felt a pressure against his arm from the inside of his stomach... like a baby kicking. Itachi murmured something and formed a quick series of seals, his face blank and concentrated.

Jerking his arms away from the sensation, Naruto lifted his shirt and stared at the seal. It was divided into sixteen separate symbols - like bars - in a square around his belly button. "What the hell," he started, and then there was a ripping feeling, pulling itself from his hand. He bit back a scream at the pain and watched in horror as a large bar, formed on the ground, reaching upward to the sky. The first bar on the seal disappeared and when Naruto went to touch it in horrified wonderment, he realized that he had lost all control of his hand.

Lifting his arm to stare at the limp appendage, Naruto realized it was a sickening shade of purple, like a massive bruise. His whole body trembled at the loss and he tried to feel the pain, but there was nothing. He touched his hand and still there was nothing. The boy's face paled, all colour draining away as he turned to stare at the Itachi to his left. He suddenly felt like a small useless child being presented with a dark secret that was far above his head.

"Why?" he whispered.

"To see if I can," Itachi remarked as an unnatural wind engulfed Naruto, inciting the same agonizing pain of his life force ripping away from his body in his other hand.

He choked back his scream by biting his lip and clenching his eyes shut. The world swam this time before settling back, leaving him feeling nothing in his other hand, which was that same sickly shade of purple.

"No..." he managed to whisper in terrified wonderment as another bar disappeared from his stomach and appeared on the ground. "You can't..."

But as another bar appeared on the ground and his entire right arm dropped limply at his side, Naruto realized that Itachi could do anything he desired...

* * *

A/N - So yeah...sorry for the cliffy ehehe ::blush:: I'm pretty sure I explain everything next chapter, and if I don't, I for sure do by the one after. Anyways, thanks for reading lovelies and sorry for the late update!!! Being bedridden for a week on doctor's orders is a valid excuse right? Right?

OOOOOOOOOH AND oh my eff! Surface Flaws!!! HAPPY 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!! I feel so close with you my love. /sap

(Reviews? Why, yes plz! I love them ;)  
kthnxbai!)  
TJ


	12. Chapter XII

_Posted: August 18, 2007_

**Disclaimer**: Do not own.

**Warnings**: Shounen ai, spoilers for anyone not keeping up with the manga, & AUish. Anything involving Akatsuki and bijuus after the timeskip is completely irrelevant to this story, and as such, never happened. Actually, this applies to everything after the timeskip except the part where Naruto, Sakura, and Sai meet up with Sasuke.

**General**: Takes place after chapter 308 for those of you that_are_ keeping up with the manga.

**Thank yous**: goheh-remix and Nox (betas) as well as everyone who has reviewed SF. Much love!

**Summary**: _The invisibility started with one silly wish upon a star. Good thing Sasuke's doormat personality, Sai's attempts at matchmaking, and a mission gone wrong were all quite normal in the life of Naruto Uzumaki... Wait. What? SasuNaru_

* * *

**Previously:**

_""No..." he managed to whisper in terrified wonderment as another bar disappeared from his stomach and appeared on the ground. "You can't..."_

_But as another bar appeared on the ground and his entire right arm dropped limply at his side, Naruto realized that Itachi could do anything he desired..."_

* * *

_**Surface Flaws**_

Chapter XII

_Excuse me, too busy  
You're writing your tragedy  
These mishaps  
You bubble wrap  
When you've no idea what you're like  
So let go, let go  
Jump in  
Oh well, what you waiting for?  
It's all right  
'Cause there's beauty in the breakdown_

_- Let Go (Frou Frou)_

The air was moist and the dimly lit hall was so quiet that the resounding splash as a water droplet fell felt deafening. Without considering, Naruto began to walk forward, uncaring that his feet sloshed noisily in the thin layer of water covering the ground. There was another drop and the blonde shinobi turned a corner, stopping with a small gasp of surprise as he realized that the Kyuubi was blocking his way. The demon stared at him; one vibrant red eye so dark it looked black nearly was the size of the boy's entire body.

The cage that normally confined the Kyuubi was missing three bars, Naruto noticed detachedly, and the beast had managed to slide its head through the open space. The blonde couldn't decide whether or not he was glad the body had not followed.

Sighing wearily, Naruto stared at the Kyuubi and furrowed his brow, trying to figure out what on Earth was going on outside this cage, which existed in his mind. "He's freeing you?" The shinobi asked, rubbing his eyes against the overwhelming heaviness that was pulling at them.

The demon snorted, sliding its massive head forward along the ground. It ignored the water that boiled and steamed as it neared the child, creating an ominous cloud of smoke that obscured the glowing red of the animal's eyes. "No, not freeing me."

Though some part of Naruto registered the danger, he couldn't quite feel the urgency that the logical portion of his brain was trying to impart unto him. "Oh?" he prompted.

Naruto's eyes fell to half-mast as the beast drew dangerously close; the water around the boy's feet began to dissipate into a thick cloud of steam. The blonde stumbled backward, his feet dragging through the water, as he nearly lost his balance.

"The idiot is merely attempting to transfer me," the demon said, barking out a laugh as it continued, "I have no doubt he will be absolutely surprised when I do not follow his plans."

The corridor shook, dust and bits of chipped ceiling falling into the water, and another bar disappeared.

"I'm going to die." It was said as a statement and yet, Naruto looked at the Kyuubi with muted curiosity. Everything was weighing down. His eyelids, his arms, even his jaw was pulling down, trying to drop open and minimize its distance from the ground. He couldn't feel the fear he knew he should be experiencing, nor could he feel the panic that was causing his heartbeat to quicken. "How?" he finally asked, around a deep heaving breath.

"By transferring the seal to an external location and then into his own body, of course." The Kyuubi grinned and the yellowed daggers that were its teeth glinted ominously. "He doesn't realize that the seal will be weak enough for me to break when externalized however - especially because he is arrogant enough to try the jutsu alone."

"Don't hurt them..." Naruto exhaled in a sigh, his head lolling tiredly to the side as he fought to stay standing - fought to draw in proper breaths.

"Your friends?" The fox's grin grew and he slinked forward a bit further, nearly touching Naruto. The boy felt his knees giving way under him. "Don't humour me, boy. I'll send them right along after you to the land of the dea-"

The words died in the air as Sasuke's form appeared beside Naruto. The blonde almost registered feelings of surprise but it was as if there was a thick net dividing his mind from his emotions. As it were, he merely blinked, the motion sluggish as his body continued to slow down in contrast to his steadily increasing heartbeat.

"Sasuke," he murmured, not noticing the hand the other had secured around his waist, holding him up. "You need to leave... take S'kra." His words slurred and the blonde let out an elongated yawn.

"We aren't leaving without you," the Uchiha insisted, pulling Naruto away from the Kyuubi, who was smirking at them. Naruto lifted his head and peered at Sasuke through the corner of his eye.

"S'gonna let it go."

Sasuke stared quizzically at Naruto. Fear rolled off him in waves, disturbing the steam that the Kyuubi's overwhelming heat was creating. "What? You aren't making any sense."

"And kill you. He's gonna kill everyone when the bars disappear." Naruto fell into Sasuke and let out a soft gasp of pain as the room shook again, another pole disappearing from the Kyuubi's cage.

"Naruto, you need to try to tell me what's happening," Sasuke said, setting the boy down on the ground and holding his face in his hands. The blonde's eyes fell from his comrade's face and stared drowsily at the shimmering, clouded water beyond him. He wasn't sure what else there was to tell Sasuke. "Naruto, look at me. Please?"

"He's taking away the bars."

"What?" Sasuke pulled Naruto closer so their faces were inches apart and clenched his jaw. Naruto wondered briefly if the streak of clean skin on the Uchiha's otherwise filthy face was the trail left by a tear. "I'm going to get you out of here, okay? Alive."

Naruto found his head being pressed firmly against Sasuke's chest as the boy held him close. The brunette's breathing was uneven with fear and his pulse flickered it was racing so fast.

"Not going to live..." the blonde whispered into Sasuke's chest and then, "You and Sak'ra have...t-to go." His voice caught in his throat and Naruto swallowed, burying his face into Sasuke's warm chest - burying into the sudden feeling of life.

"I'm taking you out of here, Naruto." Sasuke's hand tangled in Naruto's hair and the brunette whispered something under his breath.

Before they disappeared from the corridor, Sasuke cast Kyuubi a quick glare, promising he would not let the beast take Naruto's life.

-----

The hard bark of the tree was pressed against Naruto's back and bottom when he found himself back in reality and out of the chamber within his mind. The towering bars were still before him, only instead of two there were now five. The boy clenched his eyes shut as the weight that had been tugging at him when he was inside his mind lifted. Released was the suppressed panic and fear that had previously been nothing but a dull thrum in his core.

The blonde ninja tried to stand but found that both his arms were hanging uselessly at his sides and his one foot wasn't registering any feeling. Drawing a shuddering breath, the boy glowered at the dark figure standing before him and tried to push his body into a standing position.

Eventually he managed by pressing his back firmly against the tree and straggling his way up until he was standing nearly level with Uchiha Itachi. It appeared there was only one now: the original.

Naruto matched the man's amused look with a heated glare and said nothing - didn't show any acknowledgement that while he had been occupied with Kyuubi he had lost control over his second arm as well his right foot.

He couldn't find words to express the anger that was chaotically shaking through him. Instead, he snarled at the man, and leapt from the branch, trusting in the minimal chakra he had left to soften the blow of landing.

As he fell, Naruto felt a ripping pain in his left foot and cursed under his breath, staring at the steadily approaching ground. When he landed, it was with a loud crack. The boy grimaced, not due to pain, because he couldn't feel the foot or arm he had broken, but because he knew both Sakura and Sasuke had heard it.

His pink-haired teammate was staring alertly in his direction, her eyes wide. Beside her, Sasuke was glowering up at Itachi, his lips moving as he spoke to Sakura. Naruto wondered what Sasuke was saying and tried to quell the hysteria that was mounting within. Why the hell hadn't Sasuke listened to him? He had told the boy to take Sakura and leave.

Sasuke's lips stopped moving and his gaze wandered toward the towering cage in the center of the clearing and then to Naruto. The blonde stared back, and for a moment it felt as if Sasuke could truly see him, not just the form of the little chakra he had left. He tried to sit up, but his arms wouldn't move. And fuck if this wasn't frustrating because Sasuke and Sakura were still in the clearing, despite Naruto's pleas for them to leave.

"Guys," he said, his voice shaking with urgency as he wiggled his body, trying to move closer to them - needing to be closer to them. They had to leave. Naruto watched them with painful clarity and suddenly realized the monotonous static of their thoughts was silent.

He couldn't even listen to see if they were planning on leaving.

"Fuck," he cursed quietly under his breath. There was another jolt of pain and his entire right leg went numb. By this point, the numbness was becoming a pain in itself and Naruto was having trouble fighting back the cloud of white that was slowly invading his vision.

But he had to.

He couldn't close his eyes until both Sakura and Sasuke were safe and gone. His eyes wandered to Itachi, who was still standing on the branch high above in the tree. The man smiled, teeth glinting ominously in the red-tinted world he had created.

"They're not going to die," Naruto whispered, glaring defiantly at Itachi, even as more chakra was torn viciously from his body, leaving his second leg useless.

There was a loud sound that resembled a crack accompanied by a burst of blue light and Naruto felt part of the Kyuubi's essence parting from him. Alarm was now taking over, along with a pain like no other. It was a pain so consuming he could feel it even in his senseless arms and legs. It chipped away at his bones and gnawed at his muscles. It grabbed his lungs in a tight fist, stealing his breath, and pounded on his heart like a drum, speeding the tempo of his heartbeat to its liking.

It sank its claws into the seal upon his stomach and twisted, and tore through his skin, effectively shredding the ink markings that contained the beast within.

He gasped, fighting for breath and trembling against the consuming sensation. The cold, dampness of sweat beaded on his forehead and rolled down his cheeks. He coughed and slowly let his head fall sideways so he could stare at the large gleaming eyes of the Kyuubi, which were smirking at him from the cage that now only possessed two walls.

A soft hand brushed Naruto's face, and the boy's body contracted against the icy touch, startled. Sakura was beside him now - when she'd gotten there, he had no idea - and was gently stroking his cheek. She gazed down at him with a kind expression, even though she couldn't truly see him, and nodded her head.

Sasuke was beside her, examining Naruto with his sharingan as his lips blurred through some sort of explanation. His face was steely and - Naruto smiled as his eyes caught this - Sasuke was holding his blonde teammate's hand in both of his, rubbing his thumb desperately over Naruto's fingers. The brunette stopped speaking and turned to look at Sakura; he was waiting for an answer it seemed.

The coolness of Sakura's hand brushed against Naruto's hairline and the boy joined Sasuke in looking at her. Even now, while mulling over what seemed to be a very important decision, she was smiling down at him. It was terrifying, seeing that heartbroken smile on Sakura's face. But even worse, it was agonizing to know that it was only there to comfort the friend she couldn't see.

Naruto knew that inside she was terror-stricken - probably even worse than he was - and that only made him feel more horrible. He didn't need the ability to hear her thoughts to know how distressed she was. The tears in the corners of her eyes and the concerned tension in her eyebrows were evidence enough.

And somehow she managed to hold onto that reassuring smile. All for him.

Naruto felt a pull in his stomach, and his heartbeat quickened in fearful anticipation. He was being pulled in a thousand directions by the curse that had plagued him for far too long.

A blessedly cool tear fell to his cheek and Sakura murmured, "It's all right," and choked on a sob. "You'll be okay," she reassured him. And in that moment Naruto realized she could see him again.

He tried to speak, but could only manage to say in a toneless breath, "run."

It was useless however, for his words fell on deaf ears, and all control he had over his spine vanished, taking with it the last scream his body could produce.

-----

From within a two-sided cage containing only six bars - two on one side and four on the other - a large bubbling red paw emerged. Following it was the snout of a fox. Its teeth gleamed in the afternoon sun, dripping saliva in large viscous globs.

With languid pacing, the terrifying creature emerged from the cage - revealing its head in its entirety. Two red hot eyes like coal skimmed over the clearing. It paused for a moment on a blonde boy laying motionless in the arms of a sobbing girl, then a glaring brunette, whose gaze was so lethal the animal almost felt its hackles rise, and finally upon an arrogant man concealed within a black and red cloak.

The beast's lips curled upward, revealing its teeth in even more clarity, until it wore an expression similar to a malevolent grin. Then, in the amount of time it took to blink, the animal swiped at the man with one massive paw, taking out five trees in the process. There was a deafening crash as each tree fell to the ground - and then a suffocating silence.

Another bar disappeared and the beast further stepped out from its cage. The group of three children were now on the other side of the clearing, and out of the beast's mind.

It had no business with them.

Monstrous glowing eyes stared at the cloaked figure, taking in the suddenly strained expression on its face and smelling the stark scent of its sweat. So the man in the cloak was at least smart enough to be scared...

A low growl rumbled through the forest, quaking the earth and taking down three more trees.

Amid the dust rising from the earth, the Kyuubi spotted Itachi, his hands soaring through a whirlwind of seals, his eyes narrowed in concentration. Consumed by his arrogance, the legendary fox demon snorted and sat back, watching in amusement. Eventually, the man's hands stopped at their final seal and a single word was muttered under his breath.

A catastrophic eruption of chakra exploded around the beast and the missing bars on the cage returned one by one, forcing him back into the enclosure and pressing him deeper within his confines. Furious beyond mortal comprehension and blinded by his wounded pride, Kyuubi beat against the bars as they appeared too quickly for him to fight down.

From the corner of his eye, the beast saw the trio of children standing, preparing to leave, and then he saw nothing but the damp, red-lit corridor beyond a set of bars.

-----

Ten steps out of the clearing, red eyes snapped open and a lifeless body vaulted into animation.

* * *

A/N - So there you have it! FINIS!!! END SURFACE FLAWS!

Lulz, just joshing. Chapter 13 is currently in the final stages of being edited, so you can expect it in a week at the latest. ZOMG GAIZ I WANT 105705971907 REVIEWS AND THEN ILL UPDATE KAY?

Also, many apologies for the long wait. Maybe it's not apparent, but this chapter was absolute hell to write. I know that's not an excuse but it's the truth. Hopefully you guys all enjoyed!! Things'll be wrapping up mighty soon now! Only 3 chapters left to post!!!!

Also, reviews give me fluffy feelings so feel free to leave some! ♥♥♥


	13. Chapter XIII

_Posted: August 30, 2007_

**Disclaimer**: Do not own.

**Warnings**: Shounen ai, spoilers for anyone not keeping up with the manga, & AUish. Anything involving Akatsuki and bijuus after the timeskip is completely irrelevant to this story, and as such, never happened. Actually, this applies to everything after the timeskip except the part where Naruto, Sakura, and Sai meet up with Sasuke.

**General**: Takes place after chapter 308 for those of you that_are_ keeping up with the manga.

**Thank yous**: goheh-remix and Nox (betas) as well as everyone who has reviewed SF. Much love!

**Summary**: _The invisibility started with one silly wish upon a star. Good thing Sasuke's doormat personality, Sai's attempts at matchmaking, and a mission gone wrong were all quite normal in the life of Naruto Uzumaki... Wait. What? SasuNaru_

* * *

**Previously:**

_"From the corner of his eye, the beast saw the trio of children standing, preparing to leave, and then he saw nothing but the damp, red-lit corridor beyond a set of bars._

_-----_

_Ten steps out of the clearing, red eyes snapped open and a lifeless body vaulted into animation."_

* * *

**Surface Flaws**

Chapter XIII

_It's too late to apologize, it's too late  
I said it's too late to apologize, it's too late_

_I'd take another chance, take a fall  
Take a shot for you  
And I need you like a heart needs a beat  
But it's nothing new - yeah, yeah_

_- Apologize (Timbaland ft. One Republic) _

Wearily, Naruto opened his eyes, trying to contain the unease that was welling within him. He was on his back it seemed, for his first sight was of a canopy of trees. Then he noticed a chin at the edge of his vision, red and blistered. He frowned, trying to keep from panicking as his eyes latched onto the damaged skin.

The blonde moved his lips and attempted to speak, but his voice caught in his throat, rough and scratchy, and he felt his already fast heartbeat quickening. He couldn't move, and his voice was failing him, and he was _terrified_ because he had no idea whether the cough was wracking his body or not. He supposed it must have been.

"N-naruto?" Sasuke asked softly, his chin lowering to reveal his face. The blonde shinobi's eyes focused in on his teammate's concerned expression and he nearly grimaced.

Burns covered the other boy's cheeks, and forehead, and chin, and neck - mottled his once smooth skin with red and pink welts. His eyes showed no trace of pain though, only a heavily muted worry. A worry that was concealed behind the layers of apathy he always displayed for the world, for Naruto.

The blonde's stomach tightened anxiously and he somehow managed to whisper, "What happened?"

Blank eyes analyzed Naruto, staring at him with little expression, and the boy felt his gut twisting and wrenching within him. It was there again, that distance they had been slowly overcoming, and it was gaining strength. The Uchiha was closing himself off again; in spite of all that Naruto had done these passed few weeks to open him up, he was pushing him away.

Again and again and again and…

It was a waste of time to worry about this now.

Fighting to keep his eyes on Sasuke, Naruto realized that the brunette was looking to his left. He couldn't see Sasuke's expression anymore - he supposed that was for the better - only the direction of his chin, but he supposed Sasuke must have looked the same as he had a few seconds ago.

Naruto swallowed thickly and his breathing started picking up. He had no idea what had happened, and Sasuke wasn't saying anything, and he was somehow covered in burns, and… Naruto couldn't move. He tried to will his body to turn enough so he could see who Sasuke was looking at, but nothing happened.

And… He felt so tired; like he had been awake forever and had never once thought to close his eyes and sleep. The blonde yawned into Sasuke's chest and felt his eyes falling closed again.

"You should go back to sleep, Naruto," Sakura finally answered for Sasuke and the blonde wondered where she was before doing as she requested.

…_**You never understand…**_

-----

_The Kyuubi awoke in Naruto's body to find himself being contained by that damned Uchiha brat. The boy's arms were holding him tightly in a cradle lift and he was walking away from the clearing quickly._

_The demon glared at the boy and shifted, trying to break the grasp upon him. When the hands on him tightened in response, the demon swiped at the Uchiha's face. Naruto's palm came in contact with Sasuke's flawless cheek and the Kyuubi heard a satisfying hissing sound as his demon chakra ate away at the brunette's skin. _

_"Fuck!" the Uchiha cursed, trying to pull his head back. "What the hell, Naruto?" he demanded as another hand viciously lashed out, slapping with a sizzle against his neck. The Kyuubi grinned, revealing two glittering canines, and aimed for the boy's chest with Naruto's clawed hands._

_Beside them, the girl was getting anxious. He could taste her fear on his tongue when he drew in a breath and felt an exhilarating rush of bloodlust. His chakra spiked and the layer of bubbling orange surrounding the beast's human container intensified. _

_"Sasuke! Let him go!" came her shriek and he knew before she moved that she planned on removing him from the Uchiha. So when she reached over to pull the Kyuubi's hands away from Sasuke's body, she was easily tossed aside with a hard kick to her abdomen. _

_Sasuke's grip on the Kyuubi tightened and the demon placed both hands on his chest and pushed against him, hard. The brunette's face stiffened in pain and he clenched his jaw, glaring down at the body of his closest comrade._

_"Put me down, boy, and I won't have to kill you." The sound that left Naruto's lips was not his bright, annoying voice, but rather the deep rolling tone of a man - a demon._

_Eyes widening with recognition, Sasuke dropped the body of his best friend and stepped back, his cheeks already becoming red and swollen. _

_"You..." he said in an accusing tone as the demon landed in a crouch before him, his smile all teeth - sharp and jagged._

_"If you want to live, keep out of my way, boy. And make sure the bitch behaves," the Kyuubi instructed and disappeared into the clearing, leaving Sakura and Sasuke to watch his back in confusion._

…_**You had better stop going backwards, boy…**_

-----

"Sasuke! Sakura!" Tsunade's voice was too loud, Naruto thought as he was awakened by Sasuke pulling him closer to his body. His head was rolling inward, to the boy's chest and he could hear Sakura responding to the hag's call. She sounded breathless.

Curious, the blonde opened his eyes, too tired to feel much of anything when the simple action proved to be an immense struggle.

He heard hurried footsteps and then the sound of twin gasps. Tsunade and Kakashi's from the sounds of it. Naruto snorted into Sasuke, unable to see anything but the boy's shirt, and wondered why he'd bothered going through the effort of opening his eyes when he couldn't see the old hag anyway.

"What's the big deal, Sasuke's burns aren't that bad..." he croaked out and found his body turning away from Sasuke again. His head rolled to the other side and he found himself looking at Tsunade, Kakashi, and Sakura.

Tsunade was staring at him, her eyes wide with horror, and even Kakashi looked shocked. Sakura was the only one of the three that looked even remotely calm and the boy latched onto the image tightly. If Sakura was calm then that surely meant everything was okay. It had to mean that she and Sasuke would be fine…

She had a burn too, Naruto suddenly noticed with concern as he stared at her; her shirt was burned through at the stomach. The blonde frowned and watched as she whispered to both Kakashi and Tsunade, her expression grave. The three of them were staring at Naruto and Sasuke, and the boy wanted more than anything to shake off their forceful gazes. It was unnerving watching their solemn expressions.

If he could fidget, he would have.

"Oi, hag!" Naruto demanded in a weak voice. He had the woman's full attention the minute he spoke. "What's wrong?" He tried to smile at her but he was feeling tired again. Sleep was pulling at him, gently coaxing away the pain and muted fear. He noticed that her eyes were bright when she stepped closer, bending slightly at the waist so her face was inches from his. The warmth of her breath washed over him and he felt his eyelids struggling to close.

"Nothing's wrong, brat." The woman smiled at him despite the tears in her eyes and then looked at Sasuke. "Give him to Kakashi, you're in no condition to be carrying him."

Naruto breathed an agreement quietly into Sasuke's chest and fought to keep his eyes open just a little bit longer - long enough to ensure that Sasuke and Sakura were really okay. They both looked so horrible and - he swallowed a mouthful of guilt as his dream resurfaced.

"No."

Naruto's eyes were falling closed again as Sasuke rolled him back into his chest.

"Sasuke, don't you dare defy me right now." Tsunade was using her Hokage voice Naruto noted with amusement as his body slowly succumbed to sleep's tender touch.

"I'm carrying hi-"

…_**I will not lose you too…**_

-----

_"Uchiha Itachi," the Kyuubi said in a humorous imitation of amusement. His hands were flexing at his side and the demon was emitting a low rumbling growl. _

_"Kyuubi no Youkou," the man said, his tone formal. He was watching the beast controlling Naruto's body warily. _

_This did little to placate the legendary creature's wounded pride._

_"I never expected you to reverse the effects and return me to the brat's body. You never seemed the type to admit to a mistake," the beast snarled, taking a step closer to the man. He was only vaguely impressed when Itachi held his ground._

_The silence that the animal was treated to only enraged him further. "Nothing to say?" he demanded. _

_The quiet continued and the low growl emitting from the blonde's chest intensified._

_"Then I'll kill you now."_

_Naruto's body lunged at Itachi, his arm swiping forward in a well-aimed punch that extended as far as his chakra could reach. Itachi barely dodged by jumping into a tree. The Akatsuki member was extremely low on chakra from the jutsu, and it showed in his dragging reflexes. _

_"You're only delaying the inevitable!" the beast yelled, his deep voice eating its way through the still forest like fire. He leapt forward and followed after Itachi, this time swinging the mass of chakra that made up his fourth tale at the eldest Uchiha._

_It grazed Itachi's arm as the man was dodging and the Kyuubi smiled. The expression was primitive and __**wrong**__ on Naruto's features. _

_"This will be the last and only time you make a mockery of me, Uchiha."_

_And the beast struck again, this time hitting the man in the shoulder hard enough to send him flying._

_As his body dove after the man, the small part of the beast that Naruto represented watched as Sasuke struggled against Sakura to stop what was happening._

…_**A blackness like hate engulfed everything…**_

-----

"Get. Lost. He's not in any condition to have visitors."

Naruto instantly recognized Sasuke's voice and almost smiled at the protective rage his tone carried.

"Not even one visitor, Sasuke-kun? I merely wanted to deliver this and wish him well. I read that patients can hear you when you speak to the- Ah, hello Naruto," Sai's eyes crinkled in a friendly manner as the boy grinned cheerfully at Naruto. "I brought you a card," he explained, still smiling, as he held up a folded sheet of paper with an ink drawing on it. It looked beautiful even from a distance.

The blonde, who had just barely woken, blinked in surprise and attempted to nod his head. However, the movement didn't happen.

Naruto frowned and saw Sasuke turning quickly to stare at him. His face was void of expression despite the passion his tone had carried a moment ago. The blonde watched as his muscles twitched indecisively before, in a movement so fast the blonde shinobi's eyes couldn't follow, Sasuke slammed the door shut - blocked Sai out - and was at Naruto's side, leaning over him.

"Naruto, how do you feel?" he asked, his tone so tender it made Naruto's already tight stomach clench further with fear.

A million questions sprang to mind. A million things he _needed_ to know ran through his head, but he was already drifting away again. He could feel his eyes losing focus and it frustrated him to no end that he couldn't stay awake long enough to know why he was in the hospital or to ask how Sakura's injuries were.

Perhaps he could have asked one of his many questions, Naruto supposed as he struggled to keep his eyes open. But Sasuke's gradually softening face was all he could see and Naruto didn't have it in him to crush his friend further, especially when his last waking memory of the boy was a blank expression and a cold tone.

Instead he said in a hoarse voice, "Like shit," and fell asleep again.

…_**You'll have to choose. Don't screw it up…**_

-----

_The fight was still wearing on two hours later. Itachi was fighting back, and doing nearly the same amount of damage as the Kyuubi, who was fighting purely on instinct and with no skill. When it had been in its own large body, such tactics were possible; however, against a fighter as skilled as Itachi and in a body as small as Naruto's, the brute force of the demon was proving to be much less effective._

_It was a close fight. Itachi's body was covered in burns and his breathing was becoming more laboured as the fight wore on. Naruto's skin was slowly deteriorating under the heat of the chakra consuming it. The elder Uchiha leapt to the side as the Kyuubi delivered another wildly aimed punch that hissed ominously when it struck the hem of the Akatsuki member's cloak._

_"Quit. Fucking. __**Running**__!" the animal snarled, chasing after the man, who had jumped into a tree and was releasing a particularly advanced form of his family's famous fire jutsus, using up more of his already nearly depleted chakra. The flames engulfed Naruto's body and latched onto him. There was a strange whistling noise as his coat and pants began melting against his skin under the combined heat of the fire and the demon chakra engulfing him. _

_The Kyuubi did not feel this though and kept running through the fire until he was bursting through and landing a successful punch on the man's face. _

_The blonde's cheeks bubbled with burns and the patches of purple - his useless body - seen through the tattered holes in his outfit were not fairing much better. _

_Just as Itachi's body slammed against a tree from the force of the punch, the chakra surrounding the Kyuubi suddenly began to waver. The demon, who stood on the tip of a tree branch, stumbled as the orange layer encasing him pulsed again and lessened significantly._

_Managing to regain enough balance to keep from falling at the last second, the beast jumped to the next tree branch and stood, collecting himself before leaping off the branch and landing on unsteady footing on the ground._

_There, he collapsed and the red chakra continued to dissipate. _

_Itachi, not mortally wounded, but realizing another two fights - a second with Sasuke and one with Sakura - were not in his best interests, quickly performed a set of seals and used the last of his chakra to disappear from the clearing in a cloud of smoke._

_When all the chakra surrounding Naruto had disappeared, there was nothing left but the blonde's scorched and torn up body, which Sasuke rushed to and cradled with a gentleness he had never before shown, Sakura only a few steps behind him. _

_As Sasuke held his friend and stared down blankly at him, Sakura began rummaging through her bag for her water flask, a cloth, and some bandages. She dropped to her knees beside the boys and wiped a hand over her eyes - drew in a shuddering breath in an attempt to stop the fear that was quaking through her body._

"_Soak the cloth and cool down his face," she ordered thickly, after she had shoved the flask and cloth at Sasuke, and reached for Naruto's wrist. Hiding his shock, Sasuke did as she said, soaking the rag then gently holding it to his friend's face, starting when steam rose from the cloth with a hiss._

_He watched, ignoring the hysteria that was trying to consume him, as Sakura closed her eyes in concentration and began checking Naruto's vitals. After a few minutes of doing so, she breathed a sigh of relief and met Sasuke's wide eyes. "He's ok-kay…" Her voice hiccupped and she broke off from saying more - busied herself by pushing Sasuke's hands away from Naruto's face and removing the warmed cloth. _

_"This is the best I can do," she told him in a strained voice as she began covering her beloved teammate's burned face with the dry bandaging she had earlier removed from her pack. "If you could cool down the rest of his body, I'll start bandaging him. Once we're done we'll have to get him back as quickly as possible."_

_Her voice sounded strong and in control - the complete opposite of how she felt - as she tied off the dressing around Naruto's head - she had left his mouth, nose, and eyes unconcealed. _

_She began to remove as much of his jacket as possible. Sasuke worked with her, softly dabbing the cloth at the blonde's skin as it was revealed._

_Grimacing and cutting away bits of loose leather from her teammate's arms, Sakura continued her medical treatment by wrapping the blonde's sickly mix of dried cloth and moist purpled skin in bandaging. The girl shuddered whenever her hand came in contact with his skin, which hissed and sizzled, and was swollen with burns, as she worked. _

"_Can't you do anything else?" Sasuke demanded in a gruff voice, tossing the cloth to Sakura and helping to strip the boy so the girl could work more efficiently. His hands trembled as he resorted to cutting away the material not fused with Naruto's body and he refused to acknowledge the wetness in his eyes._

"_I don't know what's in him, Sasuke," Sakura explained calmly as she motioned for the boy to remove the rest of their wounded friend's shirt while she assumed the wet rag and lightly soaked Naruto's chest. "His body shouldn't be sizzling when touched, even if he's covered with burns."_

_When Sasuke finished cutting away the bottom of the blonde's shirt, revealing Naruto's stomach, both teens' eyes glanced inconspicuously over the seal, which was miraculously present. _

"_It's still there," Sasuke whispered in wonderment and some of the urgency and tension they both had been holding died. _

"_Oh thank you," Sakura breathed, her eyes straying heavenward as several tears leaked from her eyes, rolling down her cheek. The girl tied off the bandage around Naruto's foot and wiped at her face, sniffling as she tried to contain the overwhelming emotions warring within her._

_Joy, fear, hysteria, anxiety, anger…_

_Sasuke smiled softly at Naruto, sure that Sakura wasn't looking, and murmured nearly soundlessly, "Don't you dare die," as he occupied himself with finding a blanket in his pack. _

_Sakura coughed. Sasuke looked at her. She stared at the blanket pointedly then back at him. Her face was heavy with hard to define emotions. Sasuke's fingers tightened on the blanket and he met her gaze evenly - levelly._

_It was obvious that they both desired to be the one to carry him when they left. They both felt as if they were the one entitled to doing so._

_Sasuke's eyes strayed to the wound on Sakura's abdomen, which was bleeding and now burned from the earlier kick Naruto's chakra consumed body had delivered to her. The girl's expression hardened and she stared at Sasuke's face and neck and chest, which were covered in burns of their own._

_Not a word was spoken and the only sound was Naruto's laboured, uneven breathing._

"_You can carry him and still keep up?" Sakura eventually asked as she picked up the cloth, flask, and bandaging - packed it away. _

_Sasuke nodded and, wrapping Naruto in the blanket and bringing him securely to his chest in a cradle lift, stood. "Thank you," he said quietly. _

_At Sakura's nod of acknowledgement the pair started off toward Konoha._

…_**What don't I get?...**_

-----

When Naruto woke up again two weeks later, he could see nothing but the hospital ceiling. Had it not been for Sasuke's soft breathing, he would have thought himself alone. The boy sighed wearily as the dreams he had been having for the last two months slowly began piecing together.

"Sasuke?" he said into the silence, his voice quiet and choked because he remembered.

"You're awake." The boy placed a hand on Naruto's face and tilted it toward him so the blonde could see him. When he saw the questioning look on his comrade's face he clarified, "Tsunade said it's all right to touch you."

Naruto hesitated as he took in the sight of Sasuke. His burns were all healed and nothing but a small scar on his cheek remained.

"Right," he finally breathed. His chest felt constricted and the lump in his throat kept him from swallowing properly.

The blonde clenched his jaw and stayed silent as Sasuke's look of relief slowly began to fade away. It felt wrong to be feeling so much love for Sasuke, and yet he did. And perhaps that was because he remembered _everything_.

Perhaps it was because he was alive against all odds and could die at any time that he was suddenly realizing just how much Sasuke meant to him.

And perhaps this was why he needed Sasuke to be the one to tell him what had happened… not the events… but what had happened to _him_.

"I love you, you know," the blonde suddenly whispered and he felt tears forming in his eyes as he spoke because he couldn't stop the words as they flowed from his mouth. And it wasn't just a romantic love he was speaking of, he realized. It was a love born from years of camaraderie, and searching, and _rebuilding_.

There was dead silence and Naruto refused to look at Sasuke, even though he could no longer hear the consistent assurance of the boy's breath. It was strange though, because for the first time in weeks, he wasn't_scared_.

This was something he refused to apologize for - something he refused to fear.

If that was true, he wondered why he couldn't bring himself to look at Sasuke's face - to see the open rejection he knew was awaiting him.

Still the other boy had not spoken or breathed and still Naruto hadn't looked at him.

But he wasn't sorry, he reassured himself as he reluctantly lifted his eyes.

He wasn't scared.

Sasuke was staring blankly at Naruto. There was nothing in his eyes but a rock hard wall. He met Naruto's gaze and drew in a ragged breath, saying in a stiff tone, "Yeah, I know."

The blonde sighed and bit his lip, as a tear rolled down his cheek. He wanted to wipe it away, but he couldn't. And even if it were possible to remove the tear, the boy wondered if he would have given in to the urge. Would he really erase a reality of this moment when Sasuke was doing enough of that for both of them?

But he wasn't scared and he wasn't sorry.

Naruto smiled kindly at Sasuke, the crinkling of his eyes pushing out more tears as he blinked in understanding.

"Can you...tell me what's wrong?" he finally asked and he could truly see and feel a steel wall falling between them. The brunette was staring impassively at his friend.

Somehow this helped to ease the pain because the distance, the expression, the _reaction_... they were all so utterly… Sasuke.

"You're paralyzed from the neck down."

Naruto choked on a gasp of disbelief at hearing his suspicions aloud and forced himself to say, "Oh," in as calm a voice as possible.

_He wasn't scared and he wasn't sorry_.

He expected Sasuke to say something after that - it certainly looked like he wanted to - but nothing happened. Naruto simply laid there, tears rolling down his cheeks as he watched Sasuke, who in turn stared stubbornly at a point beyond Naruto - a point Naruto was unable to see.

After what seemed an eternity, Naruto fell asleep again. When he was deep within the dreams of his memories, Sasuke leaned forward and placed a kiss on the blonde's temple, where he whispered, and choked out, and_sobbed_, "Yeah, I know."

…_**It was always worth it…**_

* * *

AN: …So next chapter will resolve everything And then the epilogue. I'm getting so nostalgic ; ; No more school ever again… no more Surface Flaws really soon… T.T 

/angst

REPLIES MAKE ME SMIIIIIIIIILE ♥

(Oh, and sorry to everyone that had a heart attack from my little prank last chapter 8D kukukuku)


	14. Chapter XIV

_Posted: December 28, 2007_

**Disclaimer**: Do not own.

**Warnings**: Shounen ai, spoilers for anyone not keeping up with the manga, & AUish. Anything involving Akatsuki and bijuus after the timeskip is completely irrelevant to this story, and as such, never happened. Actually, this applies to everything after the timeskip except the part where Naruto, Sakura, and Sai meet up with Sasuke.

**General**: Takes place after chapter 308 for those of you that _are_ keeping up with the manga.

**Thank yous**: peachie-x and Nox (betas) as well as everyone who has reviewed SF. Much love!

**Summary**: _The invisibility started with one silly wish upon a star. Good thing Sasuke's doormat personality, Sai's attempts at matchmaking, and a mission gone wrong were all quite normal in the life of Naruto Uzumaki... Wait. What? SasuNaru_

* * *

**Previously:**

_"After what seemed an eternity, Naruto fell asleep again. When he was deep within the dreams of his memories, Sasuke leaned forward and placed a kiss on the blonde's temple, where he whispered, and choked out, and __**sobbed**__, "Yeah, I know."_

…_**It was always worth it…**"_

* * *

**Surface Flaws**

Chapter XIV

_When you left you left with me  
A dream no longer reality  
I live the shadows of our past  
With this love that's born to last_

_I guess I'll always love you  
You've got the love I need  
You've got the love I need_

_- I Guess I'll Always Love You (The Supremes)_

"-you home. And he'll be in charge of you. Sakura will stop by daily for check… Are you even listening to me?" Tsunade snapped her fingers irritably in front of Naruto's face, triggering a blink from the distracted blonde. He scrunched his nose and glared at her, though the look was mild at best.

Snapping. Tsunade had been doing a lot of that lately and Naruto completely did not mind, even if he led the female Sannin to believe the opposite. It was a fine improvement from being whacked upside the head on a regular basis. As a bonus to her, it caught his attention in an irritating fashion without impeding the progress Naruto had made in overcoming his paralysis.

"Why would I listen to you when all you're doing is yapping away and not getting to the point?" Naruto retorted with a wiggle of his toes, a tilt of his head, and a challenging grin.

_He was paralysed_.

"Because all my 'yapping' as you're calling it is to give you some sort of understanding as to what is going on, brat." Tsunade's fingers flexed ominously around the clipboard she held in front of her. But it was a waste of her time. The blonde had already tuned her out - as he was prone to doing these days -, and had instead focused his attention upon the vase of flowers beside his bed - daisies. They had some sort of sentimental meaning behind them, and had Naruto actually been listening to Ino rattle on during her visit, he would know what that meaning was.

At the time though, he had been too caught up in himself to pay her, or anyone else for that matter, any heed - Gai and Lee had been the exceptions. Naruto glanced fondly at the green jumpsuit they had left him and swore to himself that the minute he could, he would slide into it and wear it in place of his dingy white hospital issue gown.

…The minute he could…

A long sigh passed his lips and Naruto's gaze drifted back to the daisies and all the people he had been so rude to when their only purpose had been to offer comfort and support.

He was paralysed. From the neck down. And yes he had moped and demanded to be alone and cried and pretty much hated the hand his life had dealt him and ignored the small blessing that he could speak and glare and laugh… for about two days. Then it had struck him - in the form of a very offensive, but badly needed, 'Get Well' card from Sai that happened to be leaning against the vase of daisies - that laying motionless in a stuffy sterile room was going to do nothing to improve his situation.

In fact, moping would probably do no more than exacerbate it.

A week after that revelation, Naruto - stubborn and determined and optimistic as he was - had managed to gain movement and feeling in his toes. And two weeks after that he had been able to move his neck, which was a blessing among blessings because having a conversation with people that were pacing at the end of his bed was frustrating beyond all comprehension at best when he couldn't follow their movements, let alone see them.

While his unwavering resolution helped immensely, in the end his gradual improvement was all due to the simple blessing that Itachi had returned the Kyuubi to Naruto's body when the extraction jutsu had failed.

Tsunade had tried to explain to Naruto what had happened. First she had told him that the Kyuubi's removal had severely damaged his chakra systems. But, she had added, that wasn't the cause of his paralysis, because upon being returned to Naruto's body, the Kyuubi had reconstructed Naruto's chakra systems entirely in the span of two days.

("Absolutely_amazing_!"

"Absolutely do not care.")

After a reverent moment of marvelling over the Kyuubi's expansive abilities - despite Naruto's voiced disinterest -, Tsunade moved on. What had left Naruto a quadriplegic was the damage the jutsu had inflicted upon his neurons, at which point Naruto had loudly reminded Tsunade that 'He didn't have a damn clue what the hell neurons were.'

("Check a dictionary then!"

"How the hell am I supposed to read it if I can't even _hold_ it, hag?!"

"You have friends; get one of them to do it."

"What? You too old to waste five seconds telling me what _neurons_ are?"

"You litt--")

After things had cooled down a bit, Tsunade began to use Orochimaru's deadened arms from long ago as a way of giving Naruto something to compare his situation to. She never finished; there was no point speaking over Naruto while he chewed her head off for even mentioning 'that bastard snake'.

Persevering, Tsunade then tried a new approach, one that Naruto at least somewhat understood, though thinking about it still gave him a headache. Essentially, the Kyuubi was attempting to heal all the damaged neurons throughout Naruto's body - Tsunade's exact words -, which could take forever if the demon didn't instead focus all it's energy on healing certain sections at a time.

("And how're ya gonna give the Kyuubi tips on healing _neurons_? Be--"

"Are you listening to a word I'm sa--"

"--cause I sure as hell can't. I don't even know what _neurons_ are…"

"We've had this discussion, brat. Now listen to m--"

"Because you're too old to remember!"

"Uzumak--")

Another silence had consumed the pair while Tsunade sat in the corner of the room farthest from Naruto until she had her temper in check. When she was ready, the Hokage had dumbed down her explanation to a point that Naruto clearly understood.

("Help direct the fox's chakra to specific points in your body; it will shorten your healing process by months. Try starting with the toes. Understood?"

"Yeah, okay."

"…"

"What?"

"Nothing… I'm just surprised…"

"Because I didn't ask you what the hell neurons are, right?"

"Yes…"

"I've figured it's a waste of time asking you, so I'm gonna ask Sakura-chan. She's better at explaining things anyway."

"I swear, brat! One day I am going t--")

A hand appeared before Naruto's face and snapped. Reacting purely on impulse, he turned an irritable glare on Tsunade as she said, "I'm not speaking for the good of my health."

"I under_stand_ what's going on," Naruto retorted in a rude tone that simply screamed 'I'm a know-it-all teenager.' "I'm a lucky bastard like no other and somehow Kyuubi was returned to my body," he recited, mimicking Tsunade's voice, "and he's now healing my_neurons_._Slowly_ but surely."

Offering a cheeky grin, the blonde nodded his head conclusively; that about summed his situation up. And by summed up, he meant paraphrased it to an almost unrecognizable extent.

Tsunade snorted and walked around to the other side of Naruto's bed. The clicking of her heeled shoes echoed loudly in the clinical environment. "If the progress you're making was slow you would still be fighting to make your toes budge an inch. If you were anyone but you, your toes would _never_ budge an inch. Quit being melodramatic," she instructed with no sympathy.

And while her tone was harsh, Naruto could see the relief in Tsunade's eyes as she offhandedly placed her clipboard on his bedside table, ignoring him when he indignantly yelped, "Oi!"

There was a relaxed quality to her body language that had been absent the first week or so he had been actually awake in the hospital. When there had once been ridged almost militant steps and averted eyes, there were now comfortable shuffling and confident eye contact.

It dispensed the discomforting notion that perhaps he could die at any moment.

For a while he had honestly thought that he would. Or worse, remain a quadriplegic forever, end his ninja career, and never take over for the hag as Hokage.

"I can't believe no one's opened the curtains for you yet," Tsunade said suddenly as she marched to the windows and drew back the dreary white blinds with a flourish. Grinning, she glanced over her shoulder at Naruto to watch in amusement as he squinted against the unexpected sunlight.

"Gah, can't you leave them closed?" Naruto whined as he turned his head away from the windows as quickly as possible. "_Some_ people don't have the privilege of being able to use their _hands_ to shield their eyes."

Picking up her clipboard, Tsunade levelled Naruto with a firm glare. "I thought I told you to quit being melodramatic."

"And I'm telling you to close the blinds."

The woman scoffed at the demand and made her way back around Naruto's bed and to the door, her shoes clacking on the floor seeming considerably less loud against the low hum of Naruto's groaning and whining.

"Sasuke should be here in about twenty minutes to take you home," she said and, smirking almost imperceptibly, slipped out of the room.

Naruto's outraged squawk of "What?!" went completely ignored.

-----

Naruto under Sasuke's care: Week 1

"I'm_not_ eating your disgusting baby food!" Naruto hissed, seething as Sasuke shoved a spoonful of _mush_ at his mouth. It wasn't even decent tasting mush. In fact, he suspected cat piss probably tasted better. If Naruto hadn't been so busy sealing his lips against Sasuke's assault he definitely would have told the other boy as much.

"For the last time, it's not baby food, you idiot," Sasuke drawled, his tone about as bland as the piss he was trying to pass off as food, "It's nutrient enhanced apple sauce."

"Mmph mph mm mmph," Naruto intoned through his tightly closed mouth before turning his head away from Sasuke stubbornly. As if calling it 'nutrient enhanced apple sauce' was going to make it _taste_ any better. Just because Naruto couldn't move didn't mean he was required to take orders from Sasuke like some… _well-trained dog_.

In case the idiot had forgotten somewhere along the way, Naruto still had free will and his sharp mind.

When Sasuke let out a dramatic, drawn out, irritated breath, Naruto chanced a glance back at the brunette and had a spoon practically_slammed_ through his line of defence - his lips - and down his throat.

He had no choice but to swallow. Well, he did, but the alternative to swallowing was choking.

…Or he could do neither…

Swishing the mush around in his mouth, Naruto tried not to smirk all dastardly-like. This meant _war_! If that bastard thought for one _second_ that he was going to get away with force-feeding Naruto Uzumaki…

Lips splitting into a menacing grin, Naruto winked at Sasuke then spit, hurled, _spewed_ the piss coloured, nutrient enhanced blend at the brunette, aiming for his beady little eyes, which weren't so beady anymore. To be exact, they were stretching over the expanse of his face with alarmed comprehension.

In the end, Naruto was quite pleased with Sasuke's girly squeak and the gob of crap hanging from his immaculately styled locks.

On the downside, there was apple sauce all down Naruto's front and on his covers, and soaking into his thin t-shirt.

For his part, Sasuke was being _extremely_ well-behaved. While he eyed Naruto with a murderous glare, he also said nothing and replaced the spoon in the bowl.

"If you try to feed me any more of that crap, I _will_ bite off your fingers," Naruto threatened as Sasuke placed the bowl down on the nightstand a little too hard. Steeling his jaw, the brunette pulled Naruto to his chest and adjusted his limp comrade into a lying position.

Naruto grimaced when dark strands of hair slimed over with 'apple sauce' brushed against his cheeks. The bastard was doing that on purpose; he _knew_ it.

"Quit whining," Sasuke said in monotone as he reached over to the bedside nightstand and collected the sheets of paper towel he had brought. Scowling, he began roughly wiping Naruto's chin free of the disgusting 'food'.

The protests and indignant retorts Naruto began spouting were muffled and lost as his face was prodded and rubbed. Really, he supposed death may have been better than this. Sasuke enjoyed playing nurse a little too much.

And that more than anything pissed Naruto off.

"You know, I've seen infants that are less messy and picky than you."

…If Naruto had been able to _really_ move…

"Yeah? Well infants don't know any better than baby f-" "Apple sauce" "-ood, bastard," Naruto countered, completely ignoring Sasuke's correction and imagining all the ways he would kill the bastard when he was able to move again.

Yeah, that sounded right. _When_ he was able to move again!

On automatic, Sasuke tossed the soiled paper towels to the side of the bed Naruto wasn't occupying and grabbed for a handful of clean sheets. He was taking in the mess all down Naruto's shirt and his expression was delightfully unpleasant. Naruto smirked.

"Lovely," Sasuke muttered to himself after a moment, dutifully grabbing for the hem of his teammate's shirt, but not without an extremely aggravated huff.

Grudgingly - and without blushing! -, Naruto allowed Sasuke to remove his shirt, but not without some muttered threats about Sasuke keeping his hands to himself, to which Sasuke replied, "Quit flattering yourself."

"You're a complete bastard!" Naruto informed his caretaker furiously, worked up because he _knew_ Sasuke wasn't being gentle with his numb body.

The Uchiha stared down at him with a dry expression, not pausing his work. "So you've said on multiple occasions," he taunted. There was a hard glimmer in his eyes that set Naruto's already flickering temper aflame and the blonde nearly saw red.

So Sasuke didn't give a shit. They had definitely already established that, and he would be damned if he wasn't going to get the last word this time.

It was too late for Naruto to convince himself that he didn't care either. He _had_ told the bastard that he loved him after all. Though, in his current situation, he couldn't figure out _why_.

Releasing a bored groan, Sasuke moved off the bed and scanned Naruto. The blonde didn't flinch under the gaze, only glanced pointedly at the crumpled ball of paper towel beside him, sitting on his bed.

"As if you can even use that side of the bed," Sasuke grouched, but nonetheless moved back onto the bed. Absently he leaned over Naruto, reaching for the paper towels.

There was no way he could have seen it coming when Naruto snapped his head up, aiming a direct blow to the Uchiha's precious jewels.

There was also no way he could have muffled the pained yowl that tore itself from his throat, nor could he have prevented Naruto cackling with mirth despite the pain shooting through his neck from the strenuous movement.

There was a dull thump as Sasuke rolled off the bed in pain and Naruto's cackles grew. All right, so there was no way the blonde would be getting the last word in through his consuming laughter, but who wanted the last word when you could get the last laugh, right?

When the door slammed behind Sasuke, Naruto was absolutely howling.

-----

Naruto under Sasuke's care: Week 3

"Can you feel anything?" Sakura asked gently as she ran a pencil lightly across the bottom of Naruto's foot. On the other side of the room, Sasuke was sitting with his arms crossed tightly over his chest while he watched with a blank expression.

Naruto let out a breath of air and nodded his head. "Yeah," he told her in a shaky tone. "Yeah, I can feel it."

Beneath the blankets his fingers curled loosely into a fist and he tried so hard to keep in the fear that was pumping through his body. It was the only sensation he could feel really, the sharp spikes of adrenalin rushing through him. Besides that the only things he felt were the pencil on the bottom of his foot, the collar of his shirt on his neck, and the soft pads of his fingers against his palm.

"And has there been any more mobility with your hands? Like being able to move your wrist?" Sakura inquired, pulling the blanket back just as Naruto's hand fell limp. The blonde shook his head and swallowed roughly as shots of pain pierced and soared through his fingers like tiny arrows.

A sweat was beginning to form on his brow and Naruto pressed his head against his pillow as the pain intensified, trying to deny that it was there. "I'm fine," he told Sakura in a strangled voice, "It just smarts a bit sometimes, just like you and the hag said it would."

Unsure, Sakura nodded and placed a cool hand to his forehead, stroking his hair back. He could tell that she was looking right through him. There was no way she couldn't after everything they had gone through together.

Nevertheless, she finally hummed her agreement, the sound resonating in the back of her throat and somehow vibrating through Naruto like a wave of relief. She wasn't going to call him on his lie and tell him that he wasn't fine. And, somehow, that lessened the pain more than any drug could. Bending at the waist so their faces were inches apart, Sakura offered him a sympathetic smile.

"I've got to get going," she told him softly. "Everything looks good though. You're improving steadily even if it doesn't seem like it." Her tone brightened and she placed a kiss to his forehead.

Warmth bubbled in his chest and Naruto let out a contented sigh; it was the closest he could come to putting his appreciation of her into words. And it seemed she understood that because she suddenly nuzzled her face into his forehead and whispered something Naruto couldn't quite catch - something Naruto figured he wasn't meant to catch.

Pulling back and tweaking his nose affectionately, Sakura added, "Don't get too discouraged by the pain, hey?"

"It means I'm regaining my feeling and some medical babble about Kyuubi and _neurons_." Naruto's eyes twinkled despite the throb in his hands.

It was worth it when Sakura giggled indulgently and ruffled his hair. And while he was relaxed, Naruto couldn't help the way his smile waned the second her back was turned. She was walking away - heading towards the table near his bedroom door.

He wanted to beg her to stay. Not because he needed her, but because he was scared and because he wanted her to finally tell him that this wouldn't last forever. A craving coiled within him - a yearning to hear something more assuring than 'You're improving steadily'.

He wanted a promise that he would finally reach one hundred percent.

With all her notes and books on him and paralysis gathered in her arms, Sakura spun around to face him and Naruto managed to brighten his smile and nod his head reassuringly when she said, "See you two later," before leaving with no promises of complete recovery.

When she was gone Sasuke rushed in all frowning lips and worried eyes and Naruto couldn't help but wonder if he was really that transparent.

"I'm okay," he whispered as the dark-haired boy gathered him into his arms and held him gently.

Sasuke buried his face in Naruto's neck, inhaling deeply. "I know," he agreed quietly, his lips brushing Naruto's skin as he spoke.

And wasn't it an improvement that he could at least feel that?

"I'm okay," Naruto repeated, his whisper sounding weaker than before. "I'm not going to be stuck like this for forever, right?" he whimpered, his head collapsing so his chin was settled on Sasuke's head.

He had this strange idea that his body was trembling. But that was impossible because he couldn't move.

"Not forever."

Was Sasuke trembling?

"Soon?"

They both pretended Naruto's voice hadn't cracked. And Naruto pretended that he hadn't realized that Sasuke was… crying? He couldn't be.

"Soon," Sasuke confirmed. "Soon."

He…_was_.

Naruto blinked and realized there were tears in his eyes too. "You're not lea…" he tried to ask as his throat clenched tightly and his body thrummed with sorrow.

"Never again."

Naruto let out a choked sob - covered Sasuke's sniffling - and not another word was said.

-----

Naruto under Sasuke's care: Week 7

_Fire scraped over his body, sparking as it went and leaving him in a heated discomfort. There was nowhere to run. All around there were bars. To his left, to his right, in front, behind - nothing but bars. Huge, looming bars._

_The fire reached his stomach and settled there, digging into him and biting into him like nails, pulling at his skin and clawing and tearing like teeth. He tried to call for help but his throat was burning and clogging up with flames. There was no room for his tiny words of desperation to pass through. _

_He opened his eyes and saw nothing but a thick red smoke. It crawled behind his eyelids and into his head, clouding his mind and pushing a searing pain through his skull. His teeth clanked together - tick tick tick tick - like the warning of a bomb about to explode and the blaze began spilling over - 'over what?' - and into his mouth._

_Then the words exploded from him, filling the air with a scorching sentence. "What don't I get?"_

_His eyes snapped open - 'when had they close?'- and the smoke was gone. The fire was gone. Instead he was surrounded by cacti, each one pressing sharp tiny needles into his skin. Sasuke stood just beyond the garden of deadly plants, watching with little expression as the needles grew and pulsed, injecting pain into him like nurses inject numbness into their patients._

_He growled as the plants tightened around him and the needles sunk in deeper, filling him further with the clashing vibrations of pain and numb._

"_It was always worth it," Sasuke said and he looked aggravated, but in a very apathetic way - 'was that possible?'. Could Sasuke not see him? Being speared through by the lethal plants? _

"_What though?" The scream ripped its way from his mouth in the same way a forest of needles ripped free of his stomach, white like teeth and dripping saliva._

_They snarled and suddenly formed the red head of a fox._

_Kyuubi._

_It stared up at him with glowing red eyes, black at their core and bottomless - infinite._

"_Quit. Standing. Still."_

_Ink dripped from his eyes like tears and he shuddered, staring down at the red demon that possessed glowing eyes and snapping teeth. The ink - his tears - rolled down his cheeks. They dropped to the fox one after another, sizzling and forming into simple symbols that began pushing Kyuubi back into his stomach._

_Stop._

_The phrase echoed in his mind as Sasuke shouted from beyond the cacti, "It was always worth it," over and over and over until it sounded like he was chanting. The beast that had emerged from him screamed, a high-pitched blood-curdling scream - 'but someone else is screaming. Me?' -, and slowly melted back into his body, trapped behind bars of ink._

"_Naruto."_

_He stepped into a cactus and ignored the piercing pain and injection of numbness._

"_Sasuke."_

_He passed it and fell forward._

"_Naruto."_

_Another cactus appeared. _

"_I'm coming."_

_His head began shaking from side to side and a ragged whimper fell from his lips, falling to the ground in a spatter of ink. The ink rearranged itself into bars and suddenly a path appeared as the cacti were pushed back by the symbols just as the fox had been._

_At the end of the path was Sasuke, standing serenely, his head raised to the sky and his eyes closed. "Hurry," he whispered and Naruto ran, stumbled over himself in his rush to reach the boy._

"_Hurry," he whispered and Naruto had no choice but to obey. His heart pounded in his chest, loud and deafening like a drum. __**Boom boom boom**_

"_Hurry," he whispered and Naruto tripped over himself falling the last few steps and wincing when the skin on his knees peeled back. No blood. - 'Should it hurt?' - _

"_I'm here," he said quietly when he was finally standing in front of the other boy._

_Sasuke lowered his chin, drifted down until he was no longer looking at the sky, and his eyes snapped open, red like blood and suddenly the moon was red, and a sinister shine reflected off Sasuke's, no __**Itachi's**__ face._

"_Hello."_

Naruto woke up screaming. Sasuke's face was pushed close to his and he was cradling Naruto's scarred cheeks in his hands. "Naruto," he breathed in a panicked voice.

His eyes flickered all over Naruto's features - each whisper-shaped scar, two blue eyes, top lip, bottom lip, childish nose, blonde eyebrows -, almost reaffirming that he was really awake and okay and the blonde offered a shaky smile.

"Sorry," he tried to say, but all that came out was a terrified breath of air.

Sasuke shook his head and his expression slowly became calmer as he realized that Naruto was really awake and okay. "It's fine. Go back to sleep," he said soothingly, "I'll be here when you wake up again and then you can have some baby food."

Naruto fought back an exhausted smiled and faked a scowl. "Hate that stuff," he muttered as he let his head loll to the side and his eyes close. He felt Sasuke settling down beside him and, trembling, reached out and grabbed the other boy's hand. It didn't matter that the movement ached like no other.

All that mattered was that he was able to do so.

Besides, the pain would go away.

-----

Naruto under Sasuke's care: Week 12

"I can feed myself, bastard," Naruto griped as Sasuke gathered some ramen noodles with his chopsticks and held them out to Naruto. The blonde lifted his arms and tried to grab for the eating utensils but Sasuke's reflexes hadn't been set back by almost four months of paralysis, and thus he avoided the swipe without dropping a single noodle.

"You're overestimating your competence," the brunette taunted, taking advantage of the outraged gape on Naruto's face and shoving the food into the boy's mouth.

"M'not!" Naruto protested as he practically inhaled the noodles. "My arms are perfectly fine, asshole. Sakura said so!"

Sasuke laughed dryly and set the chopsticks in the ramen cup. "If you keep arguing you'll be back to eating nutrient enhanced apple sauce," he threatened. And while his voice was completely serious and his mouth showed no traces of a smirk, the tiniest trace of crinkling around his eyes hinted towards his amusement.

Naruto pretended to be horrified by this prospect. "If I end up dying of_malnourishment_ I will haunt you until the day you die."

"It's your fault for being so picky," Sasuke reasoned with a bland shrug as he placed the ramen cup on the nightstand. "I made ramen today because I thought it would shut you up," he drawled and moved to straddle Naruto without actually putting any weight on him.

"Quit being so optimistic then," Naruto managed to retort without his voice breaking because Sasuke hadn't done anything like this yet - not since the mission. Oh, he'd been touchy feely, but that was part of the job description. You couldn't very well clean someone after you force-fed them without touching them. A tiny voice reminded Naruto that you couldn't comfort them properly either.

The corner of Sasuke's lip lifted minutely. "Why the sudden nervousness?" he asked innocently as he shifted from Naruto's knees to his lower thighs.

"Oi! Personal bubble!" The blonde objected, choosing to completely ignore the question. "You're in mine so get out."

Sasuke scoffed and moved nearer again just to be an ass. "And why should I? You never get out of mine when I want you to."

And wasn't that the funniest observation he had ever heard.

"That's because you're stuffy and it does you a little a _good_," Naruto informed Sasuke condescendingly. "Besides, you always go all weird on me when you're this close." Here a tiny, almost knowing smile tugged at Naruto's lips.

Sasuke mirrored the look and leaned in even further - leaned in until his nose was nearly touching his blonde counterpart's.

"Don't try to tell me you don't like it," the Uchiha said with a mocking grin. Naruto's hands flexed around the sheets on his bed and he absolutely _did not_ unthinkingly moved the slightest bit toward Sasuke…

…

Well, he might have just a teeny tiny bit…

His vision swam and suddenly his breath came in short little huffs and all he could think about was kissing Sasuke kissing Sasuke _kissing Sasuke_. "All right, I won't then," he said, breathless. And hell if Sasuke's soft breaths didn't feel warm and _perfect_ against his skin.

And he _really_ wished the bastard would just get on with it and kiss him. Because he definitely wasn't going to sit like this all day waiting for Uchiha Sasuke decide he was… ready... to… make… his…

Move.

Well that felt nice, Naruto thought to himself when Sasuke's lips were finally upon his, soft and gentle and unassuming. It was a light press and that was it. It was wet and nothing special and their noses were pressed together rather painfully. All the same, Naruto thought he was going to faint.

And that's what made it so perfect.

That's why Naruto loved him.

"You should get some sleep," Sasuke said suddenly, and Naruto realized the boy had pulled away and he had had no idea.

Blinking dazedly, the blonde nodded his head absently. "Yeah."

He was asleep before Sasuke had laid him down.

-----

Naruto under Sasuke's care: Week 17

Naruto was sleeping. And he didn't look like an angel. The sun wasn't shining through his window and illuminating his golden hair like a halo. In fact his hair wasn't a golden blonde so much as an overwhelmingly obnoxious blonde.

But that was okay because it suited him.

Though, in all honesty, Naruto's personality was obnoxious enough on its own.

Naruto was sleeping. It would have been nice if there had been a soft smile on his face, or some sort of serene expression at least. But there wasn't. There was only a thumb in his mouth and a viscous strand of saliva peeking out from the corner of his lips.

All in all it wasn't a pretty sight.

But that was okay, because Naruto was sleeping.

And so Sasuke could finally say the one thing he'd been meaning to tell his friend for quite some time.

"I love you, too."

* * *

**AN:** First off, I'd like to thank everyone that has reviewed Surface Flaws as well as the many people who have added it to their C2s. I'm absolutely flabbergasted by the success of this story! Every favourite, alert, C2 add, and review makes me absolutely _glow_ and _bubble_!!! Thank you sososososososo much! 

Also, I wanted to say OMFG I'M SO SORRY FOR HOW LONG THIS CHAPTER TOOK TO GET OUT!!!!

3-2-1

**EXCUSE TIEM!!!**

Is it any consolation that this chapter has had 8 rewrites? And that Since October I have been dancing from 9-5 Sunday through Friday? And that for the first two weeks of December I was doing nothing but sleeping and performing? Oh yeah, and that listening to Mika _completely_ took over my life. Not to mention that I discovered Doctor Who! (Shameless Plug: Watch it!) And feeding the fish (WHUT FISH?) takes _forever_!!1!1 Oh yeah. I had to shave my legs and armpits between all that crap! Tiem management why have you failed me!?!?! (Lol, I haven't shaved my legs since September when short season went out of fashion XDD)

…

Wow, that totally sounds like I'm trying to win an award for the busiest schedule. LOLOLOL TRYING TO WIN? I'VE ALREADY WON!

Just kidding.

But seriously, I've been pining away over how I was going to write this chapter for quite some time. I'm absolutely sorry for the wait and that's about it!

EPILOGUE: COMING SOON!


	15. Chapter XV Epilogue

_Posted: January 5, 2007_

**Disclaimer**: Do not own.

**Warnings**: Shounen ai, spoilers for anyone not keeping up with the manga, & AUish. Anything involving Akatsuki and bijuus after the timeskip is completely irrelevant to this story, and as such, never happened. Actually, this applies to everything after the timeskip except the part where Naruto, Sakura, and Sai meet up with Sasuke.

**General**: Takes place after chapter 308 for those of you that _are_ keeping up with the manga.

**Thank yous**: goheh-remix and Nox (betas) as well as everyone who has reviewed SF. Much love!

**Summary**: _The invisibility started with one silly wish upon a star. Good thing Sasuke's doormat personality, Sai's attempts at matchmaking, and a mission gone wrong were all quite normal in the life of Naruto Uzumaki... Wait. What? SasuNaru_

**Previously:**

"_But that was okay, because Naruto was sleeping._

_And so Sasuke could finally say the one thing he'd been meaning to tell his friend for quite some time._

"_I love you, too."_"

**Surface Flaws**

Chapter 15 & Epilogue

"_Sometimes the snow comes down in June  
Sometimes the sun goes round the moon  
I see the passion in your eyes  
Sometimes it's all a big surprise  
'Cause there was a time when all I did was wish  
You'd tell me this was love  
It's not the way I hoped or how I planned  
But somehow it's enough_

And now we're standing face to face  
Isn't this world a crazy place  
Just when I thought our chance had passed  
You go and save the best for last"

_- Save the Best for Last (Vanessa Williams)_

Chapter 15: 1 Year Later

It was autumn and there was a chilled crispness to the air that had everyone wearing light coats and thin gloves. Konoha was lit up in a blaze of golds and reds and oranges. The river was no exception. The glassy blue of the water was hidden beneath a blanket of brilliantly coloured leaves.

The three youngest members of Team 7 stood on a bridge just above the waterway. They were all propped against the structure's rail in various positions, staring down in humbled silence.

"A _cat_," Naruto finally said disbelievingly, his look far off and insulted.

Sakura looked over at him and smiled. "A cat," she reaffirmed.

Naruto scowled. "I know. But…" He lifted his gaze from the river to look at her. "A _cat_?"

"Let it go," Sasuke advised blandly as he placed a wool clad hand over Naruto's. No one gave the action a second thought.

There was a pause.

Naruto glared at Sasuke for all he was worth.

How was he supposed to let go of a blow to the ego of this proportion?

"B-b-but a _cat_!" he exclaimed pulling his hand out from under Sasuke's and stepping away. He stood from his point between his two teammates and looked from one to the other as if they were absolute nutters.

He honestly thought they were.

"We've done so many cool things as a team. We defeated a jounin-level missing nin on our first mission! We fought head to head with Orochimaru, one of the _Sannin_!" A look to Sasuke. "Well you didn't, but that's not the point 'cause me and Sakura did! And we did a damn good job of it too!"

Sasuke scoffed and Sakura smiled. "We did, didn't we?" There was far too much condescension in her tone for Naruto's liking.

"Yeah. We did," he snapped irritably before heaving a dejected sigh and collapsing against the rail again. "Well we have an old one to re-add the list. We found a missing _cat_." He spit the word 'cat' out like it was some horrible food he absolutely detested - like it was nutrient enhanced apple sauce.

Sasuke smirked. "A cat."

When Naruto punched him square in the arm, he felt that he was completely justified.

-----

The first thing Naruto did when he and Sasuke arrived at their shared flat was check for mail. Not because he was expecting anything. Most of the time all they received were love letters for Sasuke and the occasional death threat.

Those were always a hoot to read.

"Oi, Sasuke!" Naruto called as he pulled an envelope - addressed to _him _in neat flowing script - from the mailbox. "_I_ got a letter!"

The brunette reappeared in the doorway to the apartment, sans his jacket and gloves, with a flat expression and his arms crossed sternly over his chest. "Good for you. Now get inside or close the door. The draft is going to chill the house."

"Aren't you getting domestic," Naruto taunted, doing as Sasuke asked. When the door was closed behind him, he glanced back down at the envelope that was addressed to _him_.

It was kind of chunky so there had to be more than a letter in there, though he had no idea what it could possibly be. "Hold this," he instructed Sasuke, holding out the letter to the boy. It was taken without a word and Naruto slipped off his gloves and jacket. Tossing them to the floor had been the original plan… Until Sasuke had pointedly cleared his throat and shifted his narrowed gaze to the closet.

"Neat freak," Naruto mumbled. But he didn't argue.

When the letter was safe and sound in his hands again, Naruto waved it experimentally. There was a tiny crinkling sound - very curious - but nothing else. His brow furrowed and the blonde gave Sasuke a questioning look as the brunette disappeared into the kitchen.

"I wonder what's inside," Naruto called after him.

"I don't."

Laughing at the concise response, Naruto skipped into the kitchen after Sasuke, undeterred by his comrade's grouchy attitude.

"Bet it's a love letter from Sai," he breathed dreamily, then as an afterthought: "Actually, he does have really impressive abs."

The glare he received from Sasuke was beautiful.

Naruto grinned - wide and cheeky - at the boy and bounced to him, planting a chaste kiss on his lips. "Looking kind of jealous, _dear_."

"Would you get out of my way? I'm trying to make a sandwich." Sasuke was in a brilliant mood.

With a huff, Naruto relocated to the table, plopping down to his seat. He stared reverently at the envelope, trying to work out who it was from, and stewing over Sasuke's lack of concern. _He_ was always interested when _Sasuke_ got a letter!

He couldn't take it!

Jumping out of his seat again, Naruto darted back to Sasuke's side and pushed his face in front of the other's - assured he had his attention. "But I _never_ get mail!" he explained as if Sasuke hadn't already known that.

"I. Don't. Care." Sasuke shoved him aside with a growl and returned to his two slices of bread - whole wheat.

Naruto grimaced.

"Oh come on!" he said, slinging an arm over Sasuke's shoulder - forgetting all about whole wheat bread - and smirking in a very dastardly way. "You've gotta be curious," he whispered, tight to the boy's ear.

Sasuke froze.

"Just a little bit?" he continued, light and toneless. His tongue darted out to wet his lips - brushed Sasuke's ear. "It's a little mysterious, don't you think?"

Was that a tiny shudder?

Naruto grinned and let out a warm breath of air against Sasuke's flushed neck.

Definitely a shudder.

Slowly, as if any quick movement could crack the atmosphere, Naruto trailed one finger down Sasuke's arm. His nail scraped ever so lightly upon the boy's bared milky skin. Sasuke's fingers twitched and Naruto unhurriedly took hold of the boy's hand, entwining their fingers one by one.

"You want just a peek?" the blonde queried, his voice rough and breathless as he started getting into it as well. Sasuke's hand tightened over Naruto's and he turned his head oh so painfully slow.

Black eyes burned with passion and Naruto drew in a sharp gasp, body shivering as Sasuke took a step closer.

Their noses brushed. Electric and tingling even when the contact was gone.

"More than a peek," Sasuke said, eyes narrowed as they travelled so casually over the length of Naruto's body. They stopped at the boy's hips and a small smirk slowly found its way to Sasuke's mouth.

Naruto swallowed roughly and he knew his face was a dark red. He could feel it burning, searing him into a heady dizziness. His hand tightened around Sasuke's and he allowed his weight to fall lightly into the boy.

A crooked, lustful smile bloomed over his lips and he pulled his arm from around Sasuke's shoulder to let it hang loosely at his side - cold and flashing all over with pleasant little tingles. "You actually want to see then?"

They were so close now. Touching at their foreheads, noses, chests - their locked hands were trapped between their bodies and burning. Sasuke's tongue flicked out of his mouth and leisurely trailed over his bottom lip. His Adam's apple bobbed when he swallowed, the sound audible. "Yes," the brunette nearly groaned.

Naruto smirked - leaned forward just the slightest bit more - and tilted his head, catching Sasuke's bottom lip between his teeth and pulling until the other boy was nearly falling into him. His free hand tangled itself in Sasuke's thin dark locks of hair, tugging aggressively as he ran his tongue over Sasuke's teeth, pressing forcefully.

_Open up_.

Sasuke complied and Naruto's tongue was plundering through his mouth, pushing against and tangling with Sasuke's as the other boy tried to gain control over the kiss. Naruto nipped Sasuke's lip again, this time harder, and jerked his hair roughly.

_No_.

Sasuke grunted and when Naruto pressed into his mouth a second time the boy didn't resist, though a low a growl rumbled deep in the back of his throat. The blonde smirked, his lips curving up against Sasuke's and he guided their locked hands to the growing bulge between Sasuke's legs, rubbing and coaxing with the back of his hand.

A hiss of air passed from Sasuke's mouth to Naruto's and the blonde tore away from the kiss, pulling a ragged gasp from Sasuke as he did so. His fingers straightened, allowing his hand to slip free of his lover's and a second later he stepped back, leaving Sasuke chilled and hard as a rock.

Naruto grinned mischievously and hopped back to the table, where he had left his letter. "Well, if you want to see it so bad then I'll open it!" he said gleefully, waving the letter before him and sitting on the table's edge.

Sasuke's eyes were slits as he stared at Naruto, looking thoroughly snogged. Swollen lips - from the biting -, mussed up hair, and a raging hard on.

Naruto really should have seen it coming, what with the furious look Sasuke was eyeing him with, but the blonde was too consumed in his teasing. So when Sasuke disappeared in a flash of blue and reappeared on top of him - on top of him? - he was completely disoriented and confused.

The blonde looked to the side and realized he was lying on the table, his legs crooked at the knee and dangling over the edge. "Sasuke," he growled, dropping the letter and grabbing two fistfuls of the boy's shirt.

The brunet was tugged forward, and rather than resisting, he let the momentum carry him until his face crashed against Naruto's, his lips latching painfully to the blonde's. There was a muffled grunt as Naruto tried to speak, but it was completely lost as Sasuke braced his elbows on the table - on either side of Naruto's head -, his hands latching painfully onto blonde hair.

Naruto winced and bit Sasuke's chin painfully hard when the boy moved away for air.

He wanted to read his damned letter.

Sasuke laughed and yanked Naruto's head to the side, attacking his bared neck with a flurry of kisses and nips and bites and licks and…

When he breathed on the moist skin just like that it felt so so nice that Naruto couldn't help but release a small moan. His grasp on Sasuke's shirt loosened and he slid his arms over the boy's shoulders, clasping one hand at the back of Sasuke's neck and the other in the boy's hair. If he could just get Sasuke closer…

He pushed his partner's head to his neck and Sasuke nipped him especially hard; Naruto groaned and he couldn't help it that his hips lifted, rubbing his erection against Sasuke's thigh.

Bolts of pleasure shot their way through his system and Naruto nearly began humping Sasuke's leg like a hormone-ridden girl.

"No you don't," he growled, suddenly fierce, before hitching his hips off the table definitively and throwing Sasuke over, rolling with him. They fell off the table with a clatter of chairs and the assurance of bruises that would be quite uncomfortable later.

But that was rather irrelevant in the midst of things.

Because now Naruto had Sasuke pinned to the floor.

The blonde smirked and ground himself against Sasuke, who gasped roughly, his eyelids fluttering half shut for a quick moment.

"Don't… get too excit..ed too quickly. I want you to hold out this time," Naruto taunted in breathless anticipation as he pushed Sasuke's shirt up, revealing washboard abs and two pert nipples.

"Fuck you," Sasuke panted as Naruto began deliberately ghosting the calloused pads of his fingers over his companion's body - over responsive muscles that twitched and rippled under his touch.

Naruto laughed and leaned down to trace Sasuke's nipple with his tongue. There was this wonderful sound Sasuke made when he touched it… just…

Ah, there it was.

Naruto grinned, his lips pushed roughly against the side of Sasuke's hardened bud. Then he lifted himself back up and let his fingers continue the work his mouth had started on Sasuke's nipple. Keeping him making those sharp little pants for air, Naruto made a humoured face at the boy.

"Fuck you? But I have," he reminded Sasuke - took a moment to catch his breath -, "But do you remember? That one time it wasn't even worth it because I'd basically just got in and you came."

The world spun and Naruto was flat on his back with Sasuke sprawled over his body, almost predatorily. "If your technique was a little more refined and didn't simply consist of 'shove it in as fast as you can and aim straight for the prostrate' the sex might have been a little less… _shit_."

"My technique is fine!" Naruto contended, completely appalled that Sasuke had just called him bad in bed.

Sasuke laughed darkly but didn't reply, he instead busied himself with rocking against Naruto, rubbing their throbbing erections together. Warmth pooled in the base of Naruto's stomach and he arched slightly, groping for the hem of Sasuke's shirt and sliding his hands under it to desperately grip the boy's slender hips.

He led Sasuke into another painfully pleasant thrust and let out a rough laugh as he drove himself up against the Uchiha roughly. "Y'know… you weren't arguing… about my technique… yesterday," he breathed, because he couldn't let it go.

Sasuke, who was leaning over him and was mere centimetres away from his face, smirked and caught Naruto's lips with his own.

The blonde moaned. As if he wasn't having enough trouble breathing already.

Except, the heavy breaths escaping through Sasuke's nose were disjointed and uneven, so the lack of breath wasn't one-sided. He could live with that, he decided as he turned his head to the side - breaking the kiss with a deep gasp - before Sasuke recaptured his mouth again.

Their hips were still rocking to the rhythm Naruto's hands set as he guided Sasuke forward.

Every part of him was burning with need and Sasuke's tongue tracing along the roof of his mouth wasn't helping. He had to be closer.

Still holding tightly to Sasuke - the brunette would have bruises tomorrow for certain -, Naruto wrapped his legs around the boy and pulled him tighter, making the connection of their groins even deeper.

Sasuke panted and ripped away from the kiss. "Bed?" he suddenly asked, breathless.

Naruto, head lolling to the side as his entire body tightened, pressed out a groan and caught sight of the letter. Nothing like a little post-coital reading.

Letting go of Sasuke's hips and casually reaching for the letter, he nodded.

"Bed."

-----

Naruto nudged Sasuke's shoulder. The boy was sprawled out beside him - completely naked, one hand resting on his stomach, and panting for breath.

"Sasuke?"

"What?" the Uchiha asked in a soft voice, his head falling to the side so he could look at Naruto. The blonde grinned brightly and Sasuke's expression softened.

"I have something I want to share with you!" the blonde told him in a very confidential manner, rolling onto his side and placing his hand on Sasuke's arm.

The brunette groaned. "We're not having another go just so you can _try_ to prove you have good technique."

"I _do_ have good technique." Naruto bristled. "You just can't hold out against the Great Uzumak--"

"We've been through this," Sasuke drawled with a dry smile as he leaned over to kiss Naruto's shoulder. "Hurry up with what you want. I'm tired."

Well how could he stay mad when Sasuke was being so… nice.

Naruto grinned. He loved Sasuke after sex. He was all soft touches and a surprising amount of patience.

"Wore ya out, did I?" Naruto inquired with a wink. Sasuke snorted and yawned, scratching his stomach, and hell if these weren't the best moments anyone could ever have, let alone ask for, in their life.

Reaching around behind him, Naruto groped for the letter and held it above Sasuke's head.

Sasuke's expression abruptly became exceedingly dry. "I thought you left that in the kitchen."

"Nope!"

"Wonderful," Sasuke groaned.

"You're just jealous because I might finally have a secret admirer too," Naruto mumbled and tore the top off the letter.

"Why would I be jealous when it was me you were just fucking around with?" Sasuke asked all too logically.

Why did he _always_ have to do that?

Naruto scowled at him over the envelope as he shoved his fingers in, struggling to get purchase on the actual note. "Because you hate even the thought of competition. That's why you can't stand _Sai_."

"Can you not bring him up when we're in _our_ bed?" Sasuke sniffed.

He was so jealous. "You are so jealous."

"Just open the fucking letter." That was definitely a growl.

Naruto cast Sasuke a look that clearly said 'Quit acting immature' and pulled the letter from the envelope.

His face lit up immediately and he let out a tiny squeak.

"It's a card!" Naruto chirped, admiring the ink drawing on the cover and the neat folds. The honestly happy smile on his face became a hint more playful. "…From Sai!"

Sasuke definitely looked like he wanted to kill something, Naruto observed as he opened the card with a brightly curious expression.

Two long strips of condom packages fluttered to the bed.

Black eyes narrowed dangerously as Sasuke made a horribly primitive noise.

"What. Does. It. Say?" the brunette demanded as he restrained himself from ripping the card from Naruto's hands and doing something completely instinctive - like eating it.

Tearing his gaze from the condoms, Naruto blinked and returned his attention to the card.

Clearing his throat, the blonde read,

"_Hello!_

_Well, I just got back from an S-class mission. I'm not allowed to say anything about it unfortunately. I was just talking to Sakura and it seems you have a lot of spare time in between saving cats and collecting recyclables. I have a feeling I know what you and Sasuke will be up to and, being the concerned friend that I am, I thought I'd give you a gift! Hope these help!_

_xoxo,_

_Sai_"

When Naruto looked back up at Sasuke, he saw that the other boy no longer looked lethal. On the contrary, he was fingering the two strips of condoms with an amused expression.

"What?" Naruto asked, putting down the card and looking down at the packages.

Sasuke smirked. "The strips are labelled. One each."

"Huh?"

That was pointless, Naruto thought. He certainly didn't need a different kind of condom than Sasuke.

A strip of condoms was thrust at him. "Here're yours."

Naruto blinked as he looked at them. His eyes began to narrow.

"Though I don't know why he labelled them. I'm pretty sure the size is self-explanatory." Sasuke grinned and waved his own extra-larges under Naruto's nose.

That little bastard! Naruto threw his strip across the room, glaring at Sasuke when the boy began to chuckle.

"Shut up and go to sleep," Naruto snapped.

When Sasuke didn't listen to him, Naruto felt that he was more than justified in delivering a hard smack to boy's arm.

-----

Epilogue

Sasuke was asleep now. Most everyone in Konoha probably was, Naruto figured with a quick glance at the clock, which read 3:56.

Almost four in the morning.

In two hours Sasuke would be waking up, not saying a word until he had had his morning shower and brushed his teeth.

A gentle smile formed on Naruto's face and he let his gaze stray to the window. It was dusted in a thin layer of frost and, with a shock of realization, it occurred to Naruto that this time last year he had been holed up in the bedroom of his old flat, eating mush and being unable to move.

The boy flexed his fingers simply because he could and blinked, ever so slow. Had that really been one year ago?

It felt like yesterday.

Like yesterday that he had put on a brave face and grinned as wide as he ever had while Gai and Kakashi argued - Gai argued with himself really - over how Kakashi's Youthful Encouragement needed to be more Youthful and Encouraging. And other words that just didn't feel right if they weren't capitalized.

It felt like yesterday that Sai and Sasuke had been glaring at each other - more Sasuke glaring at Sai really - from either side of his bed. Sasuke aiming to prove that he cared for Naruto more; Sai aiming to rile the other boy up as much as possible.

All the while, Naruto had been laughing and making jokes to ease the tension, even though neither boy had paid him the slightest bit of attention. Until he had fallen asleep of course. When that had happened, Sasuke had woken him up and demanded to know that he was okay.

And Sakura…

Naruto's stomach tightened. _That_ felt like yesterday.

How many times had she come into his room and sat at his side, speaking for hours about everything? From the relationship she suspected Ino was having with Shikamaru to the rain that had lasted three days.

All the while looking at him with an adoration he could never return to her.

But it was okay now, Naruto reminded himself. Because there was a nice village boy that Sakura had been seeing a lot lately. He was fairly plain. Black hair, brown eyes, strong jawline. But he liked Sakura, and Naruto could only hope that she would like him back.

Everything felt like yesterday, really.

It felt like yesterday that Naruto had been wondering where he fit in with all these people that had been constantly moving forward - leaving him behind. Now he realized that he had moved forward too. He had just been on a different path, going somewhere else. Over the last year their paths had converged, and they were all together again, walking the same road and it was marvellous.

Eyes dropping to Sasuke, Naruto's heart swelled with so much happiness and appreciation and _love_ that it nearly hurt, and he shifted closer, curling his body into the smaller boy's and resting his head on the other's chest.

Finally, after everything that they had been through, both Naruto and Sasuke had finally found a home, and it wasn't a silly flat with chairs and a table and a bed. It was each other.

A soft kissed planted itself lovingly upon Sasuke's chest.

Their pasts had once been gaping wounds, but slowly they had been stitching each other together. Taking away the sting until the horrible nightmares of yesterday were nothing more than scars; healed wounds that had left their imprints but hadn't destroyed them.

They were unimportant in the end; there but not there. Surface flaws.

And, looking forward to tomorrow, Naruto knew every scratch had been, and always would be, worth it.

-----

AN: … T-t-t-the End.

I'm slightly emotional right now. Playing Vanessa Williams' "Save the Best for Last" in the background probably isn't helping. My bedroom kind of feels like a sappy 90s romance flick right now. You know, the ones with Julia Roberts and shoulder pads?

Anyways, I'd like to do some Thank Yous right now! I'd like to thank the multiple people that have beta'd SF over the last year and a half: civetta-x, Wanda, vogueanthem, amain, and of course, goheh-remix.

And obviously, all the reviewers. Thank you so much for all your input, compliments, and feedback. MWAH!

-TJ

((OH YEAH! Lololol, before anyone says 'Coming instantly because your prostate is hit is lame' I just want to mention that actually, it's not. It's called 'The Prostate Story' and it happened between two of my best friends. It is, in fact, one of the funniest things I have ever heard because they bicker so horribly when it's brought up.))


	16. AN on the Lemon Link

Author's Note: Hey, I keep getting messages saying that the link to the lemon isn't working... And call me lazy, but rather than reposting the chapter (The computer with all my original SF documents is long gone anyway so I'd have to reformat blah blah blah...) I'm just adding this at the end with a link to the lemon.

It can be found at: community . livejournal . com / sasuxnaru / 1408180 . html [Just remove the spaces]

If that doesn't work I have the link in my profile as well as in my memories at my livejournal:

xinexpressiblex . livejournal . com

It is also archived at my writing journal

the _ expressible . livejournal . com

Again, remove the spaces. Quick thank you to everyone has reviewed in the time since I've finished the story : )

Love,  
TJ


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